History of Singapore in Timeline

Singapore is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia, located just north of the equator. Its territory consists of one main island, 63 smaller islands, and one outlying islet. It is situated off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bordered by the Strait of Malacca to the west, the Singapore Strait to the south, the South China Sea to the east, and the Straits of Johor to the north.

1914: Singapore not greatly affected by the First World War

Singapore was not greatly affected by the First World War (1914–18).

1915: Singapore Mutiny

In 1915, the Singapore Mutiny occurred, involving Muslim sepoys from British India rebelling due to rumors of being sent to fight the Ottoman Empire.

1921: Announcement of Singapore Naval Base construction

In 1921, the British announced the construction of the large Singapore Naval Base as part of their defensive strategy.

1931: Construction of Singapore Naval Base proceeded at a faster pace

In 1931, the construction of the Singapore Naval Base proceeded at a faster pace after the Japanese invasion of Manchuria.

1938: Introduction of Section 377A

From 1938 to 2023, sexual relations between men were technically illegal under Section 377A of the Penal Code, first introduced during British colonial rule.

1938: Singapore Naval Base not fully completed

In 1938, the Singapore Naval Base was not fully completed but was the largest dry dock in the world.

1939: World War II broke out in Europe

In 1939, after World War II broke out in Europe, the British fleet was fully occupied defending Britain, leaving Singapore vulnerable.

February 1942: British surrender in the Battle of Singapore

In February 1942, the British force of 60,000 troops surrendered to the Japanese in the Battle of Singapore, leading to heavy British and Empire losses.

1942: Singapore occupied by Japan

In 1942, during World War II, Singapore was occupied by Japan.

August 1945: Japanese surrender leads to violence in Singapore

In August 1945, after the Japanese surrender, Singapore fell into a brief state of violence and disorder.

September 1945: Formal surrender of Japanese forces in Singapore

On September 12, 1945, British, Australian, and Indian troops received the formal surrender of Japanese forces in the region in Singapore.

1945: British forces planned to liberate Singapore

In 1945, British forces planned to liberate Singapore but the war ended before the operations were carried out.

1945: Singapore returned to British control

In 1945, following Japan's surrender in World War II, Singapore returned to British control as a Crown colony.

February 1946: Tomoyuki Yamashita hanged for war crimes

On February 23, 1946, Tomoyuki Yamashita was hanged in the Philippines for war crimes.

April 1946: Singapore became a separate Crown Colony

On April 1, 1946, British Military Administration ended, and Singapore became a separate Crown Colony.

1946: British forces planned to liberate Singapore

In 1946, British forces planned to liberate Singapore but the war ended before the operations were carried out.

July 1947: Executive and Legislative Councils established

In July 1947, separate Executive and Legislative Councils were established, and elections were scheduled for the following year.

1948: Lloyd Valberg at the 1948 Summer Olympics

In 1948, Lloyd Valberg became the first Singaporean to participate in the Olympic Games, held in London.

1950: End of Chinese Civil War

In 2015, Singapore hosted the Ma–Xi meeting, the first meeting between the political leaders of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1950.

1954: National Service riots, Hock Lee bus riots, and Chinese middle schools riots

In 1954, the National Service riots, Hock Lee bus riots, and Chinese middle schools riots in Singapore were linked to Chinese communists guerrilla war against the government.

1955: David Marshall won Singapore's first general election

In 1955, David Marshall, pro-independence leader of the Labour Front, won Singapore's first general election.

1956: Lim Yew Hock replaced David Marshall

In 1956, Lim Yew Hock replaced David Marshall as leader after Marshall resigned.

May 1959: PAP won election

In the 30 May 1959 election, the PAP won a landslide victory under Lee Kuan Yew.

June 1959: Britain grant Singapore full internal self-government

On 3 June 1959, Britain agreed to grant Singapore full internal self-government for all matters except defense and foreign affairs.

1959: Singapore gained self-governance

In 1959, Singapore gained self-governance.

1959: PAP wins parliamentary majority

In 1959, the PAP won large parliamentary majorities in every election since self-governance was granted.

1959: PAP Political Dominance

Since 1959, the People's Action Party (PAP) has maintained continuous political dominance in Singapore, functioning as a de facto one-party state.

1959: PAP remained in power

The PAP has remained in power since 1959.

1960: Tan Howe Liang wins silver at the 1960 Rome Games

In 1960, weightlifter Tan Howe Liang won Singapore's first Olympic medal, a silver, at the Rome Games.

May 1961: Proposal for the Federation of Malaysia

On 27 May 1961, Malaya's prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, proposed a new Federation called Malaysia.

September 1963: Singapore joined to form the new Federation of Malaysia

On 16 September 1963, Singapore joined with Malaya, the North Borneo, and Sarawak to form the new Federation of Malaysia under the terms of the Malaysia Agreement.

1963: Singapore became part of Malaysia

In 1963, Singapore became part of the new federation of Malaysia, alongside Malaya, North Borneo, and Sarawak.

1963: Independence from the United Kingdom in 1963

When Singapore became independent from the United Kingdom in 1963, most Singaporean citizens were transient migrant labourers.

1964: Race riots in Singapore

In 1964, communal strife in Singapore led to race riots.

March 1965: Bomb explosion at MacDonald House

On 10 March 1965, a bomb planted by Indonesian saboteurs exploded at MacDonald House, killing three people and injuring 33 others.

August 1965: Singapore became independent

In August 1965, specifically on 9 August 1965, Singapore became independent as the "Republic of Singapore".

August 1965: Singapore expelled from Malaysia

On 7 August 1965, Singapore was expelled from Malaysia and on 9 August 1965, Singapore became a newly independent country.

1965: Singapore became an independent sovereign country

In 1965, Singapore was expelled from the federation of Malaysia and became an independent sovereign country.

1967: Singapore co-founded ASEAN

In 1967, Singapore co-founded the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

1968: 1968 general election results

The PAP regained its dominance in Parliament through the September general election, receiving 69.9% of the popular vote, although this remained lower than the 1968 tally of 86.7%.

1969: Race riots erupted again

In 1969, Race riots erupted again as a spillover from the 13 May incident in Malaysia.

1970: Trial by jury abolished

In 1970, trial by jury was abolished in Singapore.

October 1971: Britain pulls its military out of Singapore

In October 1971, Britain pulled its military out of Singapore, leaving behind only a small British, Australian and New Zealand force as a token military presence.

1972: Singapore Airlines was formed

In 1972, Singapore Airlines was formed.

1979: Establishment of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra

In 1979, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) was established, marking a significant moment for Western classical music in Singapore.

1981: Changi Airport was opened

In 1981, Changi Airport was opened, replacing the international airport at Paya Lebar.

1984: NCMPs scheme

From the 1984 election, PAP introduced the Non-constituency Members of Parliament (NCMPs) scheme.

1988: GRCs introduced

In the 1988 election, Group representation constituencies (GRCs) were introduced.

1989: Women allowed in military vocations

Since 1989, women have been allowed to fill military vocations formerly reserved for men in the SAF.

1990: Goh Chok Tong succeeds Lee Kuan Yew

In 1990, Goh Chok Tong succeeded Lee Kuan Yew and became Singapore's second prime minister.

1990: NMPs introduced

In 1990, Nominated Members of Parliament (NMPs) were introduced.

1991: PAP into the 1991 election

In 1991, Goh Chok Tong led the People's Action Party (PAP) into the election.

1991: The constitution was amended

In 1991, The constitution was amended to provide for an elected president with veto powers.

1993: First president election

In 1993, First president election was held.

1996: Launch of the Singapore Premier League in 1996

In 1996, Singapore's football league, the Singapore Premier League (formerly S.League), was launched.

1997: 1997 Asian financial crisis

During Goh Chok Tong's tenure, the country went through the 1997 Asian financial crisis.

August 1998: Singapore referred to as a 'Little Red Dot'

In August 1998, Singapore was referred to by the nickname the "Little Red Dot", after an article in the Asian Wall Street Journal.

1999: Economic growth

Up until 1999, real GDP growth averaging at about 8%.

2000: Publication of Rhythms: A Singaporean Millennial Anthology Of Poetry

In 2000, multilingual anthologies such as Rhythms: A Singaporean Millennial Anthology Of Poetry were published, in which the poems were all translated three times each, showcasing significant Singaporean literary works.

2001: Government Programmes to Increase Fertility in 2001

Starting in 2001, the Singapore government introduced a series of programmes to increase fertility, including paid maternity leave, childcare subsidies, tax relief and rebates, one-time cash gifts, and grants for companies that implement flexible work arrangements.

2001: 2001 general election results

The PAP regained its dominance in Parliament through the September general election, receiving 69.9% of the popular vote, although this remained lower than the 2001 tally of 75.3%.

2002: 2002–2004 SARS outbreak

During Goh Chok Tong's tenure, the country went through the 2002-2004 SARS outbreak.

2004: Amnesty International claims legal provisions conflict with right to be presumed innocent

In 2004, Amnesty International claimed that some legal provisions of the Singapore system for the death penalty conflict with "the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty".

2004: Lee Hsien Loong becomes prime minister

In 2004, Lee Hsien Loong, the eldest son of Lee Kuan Yew, became the country's third prime minister.

2004: Singapore provides aid to Aceh after tsunami

In 2004, Singapore provided aid to Aceh in Indonesia following the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.

2006: International Students in Singapore in 2006

Singapore had more than 80,000 international students in 2006.

2008: Singapore's women's table tennis team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics

At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Singapore's women's table tennis team won silver medals.

2008: Healthcare Funding in 2008

In 2008, 32% of healthcare in Singapore was funded by the government.

2008: Inaugural Singapore Grand Prix in 2008

In 2008, Singapore began hosting the Singapore Grand Prix, a round of the Formula One World Championship, at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, marking the inaugural F1 night race and the first F1 street race in Asia.

2008: 2008 financial crisis

Lee Hsien Loong's tenure included the 2008 financial crisis.

2008: Financial Crisis in 2008

The 2008 financial crisis affected the ranking of Singapore banks.

October 2009: Foundation of the ASEAN Basketball League in October 2009

In October 2009, the ASEAN Basketball League was founded, with the Singapore Slingers as one of the inaugural teams.

2009: International Students in Universities in 2009

In 2009, 20% of all students in Singaporean universities were international students.

2009: Singapore deploys ships to Gulf of Aden

Since 2009, the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) has deployed ships to the Gulf of Aden to aid in countering piracy efforts as part of Task Force 151.

2010: Changes in Religious Affiliation Between 2010 and 2020

Between 2010 and 2020, the proportion of Christians, Muslims, and the nonreligious slightly increased, while the proportion of Buddhists and Taoists slightly decreased in Singapore.

2010: Singapore hosts the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics

In 2010, Singapore hosted the inaugural Summer Youth Olympics, featuring 3,600 athletes from 204 nations competing in 26 sports.

2010: Singapore women's table tennis team becomes world champions in 2010

In 2010, Singapore's women's table tennis team became world champions by beating China at the World Team Table Tennis Championships in Russia.

2010: Singapore's Economy in 2010

In 2010, refined petroleum, integrated circuits, and computers constituted 27% of Singapore's GDP.

2010: Singapore's Total Fertility Rate in 2010

Since 2010, Singapore's Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has largely plateaued at 1.1 children per woman.

2010: Ethnicity in Singapore in 2010

The 2020 ethnic proportions of Chinese, Malay, Indian, and other descents were virtually identical to the 2010 census.

2010: Singapore participates in G20 processes

While Singapore is not a formal member of the G20, it has been invited to participate in G20 processes in most years since 2010.

December 2011: HIV Diagnoses in December 2011

As of December 2011, 8,800 foreigners were diagnosed with HIV in Singapore.

2011: Ranking of Singapore Banks in 2011

In 2011, after the 2008 financial crisis, OCBC, DBS and UOB were ranked by Bloomberg Businessweek as the world's first, fifth, and sixth strongest banks in the world, respectively.

2011: PAP experiences worst electoral performance

In 2011, the PAP experienced its worst electoral performance, securing only 60% of the vote, reflecting public debate over issues such as the high rates of immigration and the rising cost of living.

January 2013: HIV Diagnoses in January 2013

As of January 2013, 5,400 Singaporeans were diagnosed with HIV.

December 2013: Foreign Domestic Workers in December 2013

As of December 2013, there were about 224,500 foreign domestic workers in Singapore.

2013: China becomes Singapore's largest trading partner

Since 2013, China has been Singapore's largest trading partner, after surpassing Malaysia.

2014: Religious Diversity in 2014

A 2014 analysis by the Pew Research Center found Singapore to be the world's most religiously diverse nation.

2014: Smartphone penetration rate in Singapore in 2014

In 2014, Singapore had the world's highest smartphone penetration rates, with surveys by Deloitte and the Google Consumer Barometer indicating 89% and 85% of the population, respectively, owned smartphones.

March 2015: Death of Lee Kuan Yew

On 23 March 2015, Lee Kuan Yew died, and a one-week period of public mourning was observed nationwide.

2015: Internet speeds of up to 2 Gbit/s in 2015

As of spring 2015, internet service providers in Singapore offered residential service plans with speeds up to 2 Gbit/s.

2015: Singapore Airlines and Changi Airport Awards in 2015

In 2015, Singapore Airlines was ranked as Asia's most-admired company, and the world's 19th most-admired company by Fortune, and Changi Airport had received more than 480 World's Best Airport awards.

2015: Singapore hosts Ma-Xi meeting

In 2015, Singapore hosted the Ma–Xi meeting, the first meeting between the political leaders of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1950.

2015: Education Benchmarks in 2015

In 2015, Singapore students ranked first in OECD's global school performance rankings across 76 countries for both primary and secondary students.

2016: Joseph Schooling wins gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Joseph Schooling won Singapore's first Olympic gold medal in the 100-metre butterfly with a new Olympic record time of 50.39 seconds.

2016: Education Benchmarks in 2016

In 2016, Singapore students topped both the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS).

2016: Esplanade art and culture events

In 2016, the Esplanade, Singapore's largest performing arts centre, hosted 5,900 free art and culture events.

2016: Tourism Contribution to Employment in 2016

In 2016, the tourism sector generated approximately 8.6% of Singapore's employment.

2016: Estimated internet users in Singapore in 2016

In 2016, there were an estimated 4.7 million internet users in Singapore, representing 82.5% of the population.

August 2017: Unveiling of Singapore – Passion Made Possible in August 2017

In August 2017, the STB and EDB unveiled a unified brand, Singapore – Passion Made Possible, to market Singapore internationally for tourism and business purposes.

2017: Singapore men's water polo team wins SEA Games gold in 2017

In 2017, Singapore's men's water polo team won the SEA Games gold medal for the 27th time, continuing Singapore's longest winning streak.

2017: Halimah Yacob wins presidential election

In the 2017 presidential election, stringent requirements and a reserved election led to the PEC approving a single candidate; Halimah Yacob, considered part of the Malay community, won in an uncontested election and became Singapore's first female president.

June 2018: Singapore hosts US-North Korea summit

In June 2018, Singapore hosted a historic summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, the first-ever meeting between the sitting leaders of the two nations.

2018: Hawker centres in Singapore in 2018

In 2018, Singapore had 114 hawker centres managed by the National Environment Agency, including the Chinatown Complex with over 200 stalls and the cheapest Michelin-starred meal.

2018: ASEAN joint maritime exercise with China

Singapore increased co-operation with ASEAN members and China to strengthen regional security and fight terrorism, and participated in ASEAN's first joint maritime exercise with China in 2018.

2019: Life Expectancy in 2019

In 2019, Singaporeans had the longest life expectancy of any country at 84.8 years.

2019: Port of Singapore's Ranking

In 2019, the Port of Singapore, managed by PSA International and Jurong Port, was the world's second-busiest port in terms of shipping tonnage handled, at 2.85 billion gross tons, and in terms of containerised traffic, at 37.2 million twenty-foot equivalent units. The port was also the world's second-busiest in terms of cargo tonnage, handling 626 million tons, and the world's busiest for transshipment traffic and ship refuelling.

2019: Semiconductor Industry in 2019

In 2019, there were more than 60 semiconductor companies in Singapore, which together constituted 11% of the global market share, contributing around 7% of Singapore's GDP.

2020: Languages Spoken at Home in 2020

According to the 2020 census, English was the language most spoken at home, used by 48.3% of the Singapore population, followed by Mandarin at 29.9%.

2020: Religion Statistics from 2020 Census

In the 2020 census, 31% of Singapore residents declared themselves adherents of Buddhism, 18.9% Christianity, 15.6% Islam, 8.8% Taoism and Chinese Traditional Beliefs, and 5.0% Hinduism.

2020: Singapore Residents by Ethnicity in 2020

The 2020 census reported that about 74.3% of Singapore residents were of Chinese descent, 13.5% of Malay descent, 9.0% of Indian descent, and 3.2% of other descent.

2020: 2020 election results

The 2020 election held in July saw the PAP drop to 61% of the vote, while the Workers' Party (WP) took 10 of the 93 seats.

2021: Loh Kean Yew achieves 'World Champion' status in 2021

In 2021, Singapore's Loh Kean Yew achieved a "World Champion" status when he won a badminton gold at the 2021 BWF World Championships men's singles.

2021: Singapore ranked 17th on the Rule of Law Index

In 2021, the World Justice Project's Rule of Law Index ranked Singapore as 17th overall among the world's 193 countries.

2022: Announcement of Section 377A repeal

In 2022, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced that Singapore would repeal 377A, effectively decriminalising homosexual behaviour, but the repeal will not affect the recognition of traditional familial and societal norms.

2022: Median Age and Low Births in 2022

In 2022, the median age of Singaporean residents was 42.8, and live births hit a record low.

2022: Global Innovation Index Ranking in 2022

Singapore was ranked 7th in the Global Innovation Index in 2022.

January 2023: Repeal of Section 377A

On 3 January 2023, Section 377A of the Penal Code was officially repealed, effectively decriminalising homosexual behaviour in Singapore.

2023: Singapore Population in 2023

As of mid-2023, the estimated population of Singapore was 5,917,600, with 61.6% citizens and the remaining either permanent residents or international students, foreign workers, or dependants. The overall population increased 5% from the prior year.

2023: Tourism Statistics for 2023

In 2023, Singapore attracted 13.6 million international tourists.

2023: Singapore's ranking on the Press Freedom Index in 2023

In 2023, Singapore was ranked 129 on the Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders.

May 2024: Lawrence Wong becomes Singapore's fourth prime minister

On 15 May 2024, Lawrence Wong became Singapore's fourth prime minister and the first born after independence.

2024: Singapore ranks 5th on Global Peace Index

According to the 2024 Global Peace Index, Singapore is the 5th most peaceful country in the world.

2024: Max Maeder wins bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Max Maeder won Singapore's first Olympic medal in sailing, achieving bronze at the Men's Formula Kite on National Day.

2024: Damages to MacDonald House valued in 2024

In 1965, The bomb explosion on 10 March caused US$250,000 (equivalent to US$2,494,456 in 2024) in damages to MacDonald House.

2024: Singapore's military spending

In 2024, the government spent 2.7% of the country's GDP on the military, the highest in the region.

2024: Global Innovation Index Ranking in 2024

Singapore was ranked 4th in the Global Innovation Index in 2024.

2025: 2025 election results

Wong's first electoral test came at the 2025 election, which saw the PAP winning 65.5% of the vote and 87 out of 97 seats in Parliament; the WP retained their 10 seats.