Fidel Castro turns 85

Revolutionary legend Fidel Castro turns 85 today, still an important figure in his communist-ruled Cuba which he ran for 49 years.He gave up his last leadership post this year when he stepped down as head of the ruling Communist Party and has retreated further and further from public view.His gradual slipping away appears to be a product of choice born of necessity, but also of a transition plan to wean Cuba from its once near-total dependence on the charismatic Comandante's leadership.Cuba was to celebrate the birthday with a nationally televised serenade by a lineup of musicians. Organizers said this week they did not know if Fidel Castro would attend personally.He came to power on New Year's Day 1959 when his guerrilla forces swept down from the eastern Sierra Maestra mountains to topple US-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista.As Cuba's president, he outlasted nine US presidents and five decades of US hostility, but in July 2006 he underwent emergency intestinal surgery and suffered complications from which he never fully recovered.