The Singapore Story

Stamford Raffles signs a treaty with Temenggong of Johor to establish a trading post in Singapore

William Farquhar is appointed as 1st Resident of Singapore

Naraina Pillai, the first Indian to set foot in Singapore

Tan Tock Seng and the first teochews arrive in Singapore

Munshi Abdullah arrives in Singapore

Beginning of Kampong Glam

John Crawfurd is appointed as 2nd Resident of Singapore

Signing of the Anglo-Dutch Treaty in London

Signing of the Treaty of Friendship and Alliance between the EIC and the Johore Sultanate

Singapore, together with Malacca and Penang, becomes the British Straits Settlement

Whampoa Hoo Ah Kay arrives in Singapore

Singapore became a crown colony directly under the Colonial Office in London

Opening of Suez Canel

Rubber came to Singapore

Gan Eng Seng Free School founded. One of the earliest schools to offer bilingual education

Lim Boon Keng becomes a legislative councillor

Singapore Chinese Girls’ School founded. First Chinese girls’ school in Singapore

Sun Yat Sen’s first of nine visits to Singapore

P. Govindasamy Pillai arrives in Singapore

Mohammed Eunos becomes editor of Utusan Malayu

Singapore Traction Company, the first public motor-transport form, set up

Formation of Kesatuan Melayu Singapora

Singapore General Hospital opened

First municipal power station opened at St. James

Singapore Improvement Trust set up

Kreta Ayer Incident

Opening of Raffles College

Formation of Overseas Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC)

Opening of Kallang Civil Airport

Japanese landings in Southern Thailand and Northern Malaya

Battle of Singapore starts

Fall of Singapore

Sook Ching Massacre

Syonan-To Era

Japanese Surrender

British Military Administration (BMA) set up

Return of Civilian Administration and Singapore becomes a separate Crown Colony

Federation of Malaya inaugurated, Singapore remained separate

First General Elections held in Singapore with 6 legislative council seats up for elections

Emergency is declared!

King Edward College of Medicine merges with Raffles College to form the University of Malaya in Singapore

General Election: Number of elected seats in the Legislative Council increased to nine

Rendel Commission

Enactment of the Central Provident Fund Ordinance

Anti-National Service Riots

General Elections David Marshall as First Chief Minister of Singapore

Hock Lee Bus Riots

The 1st Merdeka Talks

Lim Yew Hock beomes the 2nd Chief Minister of Singapore

Protests by Chinese Middle School Students

2nd Merdeka Talks

3rd Merdeka Talks

Legislative Assembly General Elections

The first Cabinet is sworn in, Lee Kuan Yew becomes 1st Prime Minister of Singapore

Yusof Ishak is sworn in as Yang Di-Pertuan Negara (head of state)

Establishment of Housing and Development Board (HDB)

Creation of Jurong Industrial Estate

Referendum on Merger with Malaysia

Merger with Malaya to form Malaysia

Communal Riots

Separation – Singapore Independence

Singapore is admitted into the UN as the 117th member

Constitutional Amendment Act passed and Yusof bin Ishak becomes the first President of Singapore

National Service Bill passed

Issue of the first Singapore Dollar

Singapore is a founding member of ASEAN

Britain announces its intention to withdraw its armed forces from Singapore

PAP won all seats in the 1968 General Elections, which was boycotted by the opposition Barisan Sosialis

Race Riots

Singapore’s 1st Junior College National Junior Colleage opens

British military forces withdraws from Singapore

Singapore Airlines is formed

Dr Benjamin Henry Sheares becomes the 2nd President of Singapore

PAP wins the 1972 GE

Presidential Council for Minority Rights set up

Laju Terror Incident

PAP wins all 69 seats in the 1976 GE

PAP wins all 75 seats in the 1980 GE

Singapore Changi Airport starts operation

C V Devan Nair becomes 3rd President of Singapore

Workers’ Party JB Jeyaretnam elected into Parliament, breaking a 16-years PAP total control of the House

Singapore becomes the world’s busiest port in terms of shipping tonnage

Eniwetok, a Panamanian-registered oil rig, hits the Singapore Cable Car system, sending two cabins plunging into the sea and killing seven people

The PAP wins the 1984 General Election Non-Constituency Member of Parliament system was introduced

Dr Wee Kim Wee becomes the 4th President of Singapore

Hotel New World collapses

PAP wins the 1988 GE. Group Representation Constituencies (GRCS) introduced

The East West Line of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) is completed

Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 2 begins operation

Goh Chok Tong becomes the 2nd Prime Minister of Singapore

Hijack of SQ 117

PAP wins 1991 GE

Ong Teng Cheong becomes the 5th President of Singapore, 1st Elected President

PAP wins 1997 GE

Asian Financial Crisis

Sellapan Rama Nathan becomes the 6th President of Singapore

Economic Recession in Singapore

PAP wins 2001 GE

15 suspected militants of Jemaah Islamiyah are arrested for alleged bomb plot

SARS virus outbreak in Singapore

United States-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (USS-FTA) signed

A major research centre Biopolis opens

National Service reduced from 2.5 to 2 years

A section of Nicoll Highway collapses

Lee Hsien Loong becomes 3rd Prime Minister of Singapore

Government approves the plan to legalise casino gambling and builds two Integrated Resorts

PAP wins 2006 GE

Singapore Changi Airport opens 3rd passenger terminal

Singapore slips into recession due to Global Financial Crisis

PAP wins 2011 GE but loses Aljunied GRC. First time an opposition party captured a GRC

Dr Tan Keng Yam Tony sworn in as 7th President of Singapore

Haze in Singapore reaches 401 PSI, worst in Singapore History

Launch of Pioneer Generation package

Lee Kuan Yew passes away. Singapore enters a one-week mourning period

Singapore’s Golden Jubilee

Joseph Schooling is Singapore’s first Olympic Champion

S R Nathan passes away. Singapore enters a one-week mourning period

Future Economy Council holds first meeting with Mr Heng Swee Keat as chair

Launch of Smart Nation projects

Halimah Yacob elected as 8th President and 1st female President of Singapore

Kim – Trump Summit

Announcement of Merdeka Generation package

The 4th Generation of leaders emerges

United Nations passes resolution for new treaty on mediation named after Singapore