Interesting facts about Fidel Castro you'd want to know

In this Sept 4, 1999 file photo, Cuban President Fidel Castro discusses his request to the president of the International Olympic Committee in Havana for an investigation into the treatment of certain Cuban atheletes. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/Adalberto Roque

The following are some facts about former Cuban leader Fidel Castro.

* Fidel Castro led Cuba for five decades and was the world's third longest-serving head of state, after Britain's Queen Elizabeth and the King of Thailand. He temporarily ceded power to his brother Raul in July 2006 after undergoing intestinal surgery. The handover of power became official in 2008.