Historical eventAugust 142015

Embassy of the United States, Havana

The U.S. Embassy in Havana, Cuba re-opens after 54 years of being closed when Cuba–United States relations were broken off.

Everything on August 14Original source

In context

When
Friday, August 14 201511 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
21st century · 2010s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 2015.

What came beforeAI-assisted

The U.S. Embassy in Havana closed in 1961 after the Cuban Revolution brought Fidel Castro to power and the U.S. severed diplomatic relations with Cuba. For 54 years, the two nations had no official diplomatic presence in each other's capitals, though they maintained limited contact through the Swiss embassy.

Relations remained frozen through the Cold War and beyond, with the U.S. maintaining a trade embargo against Cuba. Tensions persisted even after the Soviet Union's collapse, though some informal dialogue occurred in the 1990s and 2000s.

Catalyst / how it startedAI-assisted

In December 2014, President Barack Obama announced a historic shift in U.S. policy toward Cuba, declaring an end to the Cold War approach and a move toward normalized relations. Secret negotiations between U.S. and Cuban officials, mediated partly by the Vatican and Canada, had paved the way for this diplomatic breakthrough.

Who was involvedAI-assisted

President Barack Obama led the U.S. initiative, with Secretary of State John Kerry overseeing diplomatic efforts. Cuban President Raúl Castro (who had assumed power from his brother Fidel in 2008) agreed to the normalization process on Cuba's behalf.

TimelineAI-assisted

December 17, 2014: Obama and Raúl Castro announced the restoration of diplomatic relations. August 14, 2015: The U.S. Embassy in Havana officially reopened with Secretary of State John Kerry present for the ceremony.

What happened

The U.S. Embassy in Havana, Cuba re-opens after 54 years of being closed when Cuba–United States relations were broken off.

August 14 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 2006Sri Lankan civil war
  2. 2007Qahtaniyah bombings
  3. 20102010 Summer Youth Olympics
  4. 2013Egypt
  5. 2013Rabaa massacre
  6. 2013UPS Airlines Flight 1354
  7. 2015Embassy of the United States, Havana
  8. 2018Ponte Morandi collapse
  9. 20212021 Haiti earthquake
  10. 20222022 Yerevan explosion
  11. 2023Donald Trump

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Everything we record for 2015 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Embassy of the United States, Havana”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/embassy-of-the-united-states-havana-2015-august-14, accessed October 29, 2026.

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Questions about this entry

When did Embassy of the United States, Havana happen?

August 14 2015 — 11 years ago, on a Friday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints. Panels marked AI-assisted were filled where the sources left a heading empty.

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