History of Singapore in Timeline
Singapore is an island country and city-state located in Southeast Asia. It consists of one main island, 63 smaller islands and islets, and one outlying islet. Positioned just north of the equator, it sits off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. Singapore is bordered by the Strait of Malacca to the west, the Singapore Strait and Indonesian Riau Islands to the south, the South China Sea to the east, and the Straits of Johor and Malaysia to the north.
1914: First World War
In 1914, Singapore was not greatly affected by the First World War.
1915: Singapore Mutiny
In 1915, the Singapore Mutiny occurred, carried out by Muslim sepoys from British India garrisoned in Singapore.
1921: Singapore Naval Base Announced
In 1921, the British announced plans to build the large Singapore Naval Base as part of their defensive strategy.
1931: Naval Base Construction Accelerated
In 1931, construction of the Singapore Naval Base proceeded at a faster pace due to the Japanese invasion of Manchuria.
1938: Introduction of Section 377A
In 1938, sexual relations between men were technically made illegal under Section 377A of the Penal Code, first introduced during British colonial rule.
1938: Naval Base Completion
In 1938, the Singapore Naval Base was not fully completed but was the largest dry dock in the world.
1939: World War II
In 1939, after World War II broke out, the British fleet was occupied with defending Britain, leaving Singapore vulnerable to Japanese invasion.
February 1942: Battle of Singapore
In February 1942, the Japanese invasion of Malaya culminated in the Battle of Singapore, resulting in a British surrender.
August 1945: Japanese Surrender
In August 1945, after Japan's surrender, Singapore experienced a period of violence and disorder before British, Australian, and Indian troops returned.
September 1945: Formal Surrender
In September 1945, British, Australian, and Indian troops received the formal surrender of Japanese forces in Singapore.
1945: Planned Liberation
In 1945, British forces had planned to liberate Singapore, but the war ended before these operations could be carried out.
February 1946: Yamashita Hanged
In February 1946, Tomoyuki Yamashita was hanged in the Philippines after being convicted of war crimes.
April 1946: Crown Colony
On April 1, 1946, British Military Administration ended and Singapore became a separate Crown Colony.
1946: Planned Liberation
In 1946, British forces had planned to liberate Singapore, but the war ended before these operations could be carried out.
July 1947: Executive and Legislative Councils
In July 1947, separate Executive and Legislative Councils were established in Singapore and elections were scheduled.
1950: End of Chinese Civil War
In 1950, the Chinese Civil War ended, preceding the Ma-Xi meeting in Singapore in 2015.
1954: National Service Riots
In 1954, the National Service riots in Singapore were linked to the Malayan Emergency and Chinese communist activity.
1955: Marshall Wins Election
In 1955, David Marshall of the Labour Front won Singapore's first general election.
1956: Lim Yew Hock Replaces Marshall
In 1956, Lim Yew Hock replaced David Marshall as leader, leading to further negotiations with Britain.
May 1959: PAP Victory
In May 1959, the People's Action Party (PAP) won a landslide victory in the election.
June 1959: Full Internal Self-Government
On June 3, 1959, Britain granted Singapore full internal self-government.
1960: Singapore's First Olympic Medal
Weightlifter Tan Howe Liang was Singapore's first Olympic medalist, winning a silver at the 1960 Rome Games.
May 1961: Malaysia Proposal
On May 27, 1961, Malaya's prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, proposed a new Federation called Malaysia.
1961: Long-Term Water Supply Agreement
Singapore has a long-term water supply agreement with Malaysia which expires in 2061.
September 1963: Formation of Malaysia
On September 16, 1963, Singapore joined with Malaya, the North Borneo, and Sarawak to form the new Federation of Malaysia.
1963: Part of Malaysia
In 1963, Singapore became part of the new federation of Malaysia.
1963: Singapore Became Independent
When Singapore became independent from the United Kingdom in 1963, most Singaporean citizens were transient migrant labourers who had no intention of staying permanently.
1964: Race Riots
In 1964, communal strife in Singapore led to race riots.
March 1965: MacDonald House Bombing
In March 1965, a bomb planted by Indonesian saboteurs at MacDonald House killed three people and injured 33 others during Konfrontasi.
August 1965: Independence
In August 1965, Singapore became independent as the Republic of Singapore.
August 1965: Expulsion from Malaysia
On August 9, 1965, the Malaysian Parliament voted to expel Singapore from Malaysia, leading to Singapore's independence.
1965: Economic Growth
Between 1965 and 1995, Singapore saw average growth rates of around 6% per annum, transforming the living standards of the population.
1965: Independence
In 1965, Singapore was expelled from Malaysia and became an independent sovereign country.
1967: Co-founded ASEAN
In 1967, Singapore co-founded the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
1967: Garden City Vision Introduced
In 1967, the Singapore government introduced the vision of making Singapore a "garden city" to improve the quality of life.
1967: Currency Interchangeability
Since 1967, the Singapore dollar has been interchangeable with the Brunei dollar at par value.
1970: Abolishment of Trial by Jury
In 1970, Singapore abolished trial by jury, continuing the legal tradition established during British rule with local differences.
October 1971: British Military Withdrawal
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.
1975: Singapore Area Licensing Scheme Implemented
In 1975, Singapore implemented the Singapore Area Licensing Scheme, the world's first congestion pricing scheme.
1979: Singapore Symphony Orchestra Instituted
Western classical music plays a significant role in the cultural life in Singapore, with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) instituted in 1979.
1981: Changi Airport Opened
In 1981, Singapore Changi Airport was opened.
1984: Non-constituency Members of Parliament
In 1984, Singapore introduced the non-constituency members of parliament.
1988: Group Representation Constituencies
In 1988, Group representation constituencies (GRCs) were introduced.
1989: Women in SAF
Since 1989, women in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) have been allowed to fill military vocations formerly reserved for men.
1990: Goh Chok Tong Succeeds Lee
In 1990, Goh Chok Tong became Singapore's second prime minister.
1990: Nominated Members of Parliament
In 1990, Nominated members of parliament were introduced.
1991: Elected President
In 1991, the constitution was amended to provide for an elected president.
1995: High Growth Rates
Between 1965 and 1995, Singapore saw average growth rates of around 6% per annum, transforming the living standards of the population.
1996: Singapore Premier League launched
In 1996, Singapore's football league, the Singapore Premier League, was launched as the S.League.
1997: Asian Financial Crisis
In 1997, Singapore went through the Asian financial crisis.
August 1998: Little Red Dot Nickname
In August 1998, Singapore adopted the informal name "Little Red Dot" after an article in the Asian Wall Street Journal quoted Indonesian President B.J. Habibie referring to Singapore as a red dot on a map.
1998: Electronic Road Pricing System Upgraded
In 1998, the Singapore Area Licensing Scheme was upgraded and renamed Electronic Road Pricing (ERP), introducing electronic toll collection.
1999: GDP Growth Averaging
Up until 1999, Singapore's real GDP growth averaged about 8%.
2000: Rhythms: A Singaporean Millennial Anthology Of Poetry
In 2000, Rhythms: A Singaporean Millennial Anthology Of Poetry was released. The poems were all translated three times each.
2001: Government Programs to Increase Fertility
Starting in 2001, the government introduced a series of programs 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.
2004: Amnesty International Claim
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 Prime Minister
In 2004, Lee Hsien Loong became Singapore's third prime minister.
2004: Aid to Aceh
In 2004, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) provided aid to Aceh in Indonesia following the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.
2006: Changi Airport Rated World's Best
In 2006, Changi Airport was rated the world's best airport for the first time by Skytrax.
2006: International Students in Singapore
In 2006, Singapore was an education hub with more than 80,000 international students.
2007: Financial Crisis
In 2007, the Singaporean government had to deal with the financial crisis.
2008: Government Funding of Healthcare
In 2008, 32% of healthcare was funded by the government.
2008: Singapore hosts its inaugural Formula One Grand Prix
In 2008, Singapore began hosting a round of the Formula One World Championship, the Singapore Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. It was the inaugural F1 night race, and the first F1 street race in Asia.
2008: Singapore's women's table tennis team win silver at Beijing Olympics
In 2008, Singapore's women's table tennis team were silver medalists at the Beijing Olympics.
2008: Financial Crisis
In 2008, the Singaporean government had to deal with the financial crisis.
October 2009: Singapore Slingers Founded
In October 2009, The Singapore Slingers is one of the inaugural teams in the ASEAN Basketball League.
2009: Deployment 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: Singapore Imports Sand for Land Reclamation
In 2010, Singapore imported almost 15 million tons of sand for land reclamation projects.
2010: Water Demand Statistics
In 2010, Singapore's water demand was 1.4 billion litres per day, with non-domestic use accounting for 55% of the demand.
2010: Singapore Census on Racial Descent
In 2010, a census was conducted. Prior to 2010, individuals could only register as a member of one race, typically that of their father. However, beginning in 2010, people were allowed to register using a multi-racial classification, in which they could choose one primary race and one secondary race, but no more than two.
2010: Composition of Singapore's GDP
In 2010, refined petroleum, integrated circuits, and computers constituted 27% of Singapore's GDP.
2010: Participation in G20 Processes
Since 2010, Singapore has been invited to participate in G20 processes in most years, despite not being a formal member.
2010: Singapore's Total Fertility Rate Plateaued
Since 2010, Singapore's Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has largely plateaued at 1.1 children per woman, which is among the lowest in the world and well below the 2.1 needed to replace the population.
2010: Singapore Hosted Summer Youth Olympics
Singapore hosted the inaugural 2010 Summer Youth Olympics, in which 3,600 athletes from 204 nations competed in 26 sports.
2010: Singapore Population Census
The 2010 census indicated that a significant portion of Singapore's population comprised citizens (61.6%) and permanent residents. The proportion of foreign workers in 2010 remained largely unchanged compared to later years.
December 2011: HIV Diagnosis Among Foreigners
As of December 2011, 8,800 foreigners were diagnosed with HIV.
2011: Singaporean Banks Ranked Among World's Strongest
In 2011, during the global financial crisis, OCBC, DBS, and UOB were ranked as the world's 1st, 5th, and 6th strongest banks, respectively, by Bloomberg Businessweek.
2011: Worst Electoral Results
In 2011, the PAP suffered its worst ever electoral results, winning just 60% of votes.
January 2013: HIV Diagnosis Among Singaporeans
As of January 2013, 5,400 Singaporeans were diagnosed with HIV.
December 2013: Foreign Domestic Workers in Singapore
As of December 2013, there were approximately 224,500 foreign domestic workers in Singapore.
2013: Changi Airport Rated World's Best Airport
From 2013, Changi Airport had been rated as the world's best airport.
2013: Increased Acceptance of Same-Sex Relationships
In 2013, 10% of people said that sexual relations between adults of the same sex were not wrong at all or not wrong most of the time, according to a survey conducted by the Institute of Policy Studies.
2013: Largest Trading Partner
In 2013, China became Singapore's largest trading partner, surpassing Malaysia.
2014: Singapore Most Religiously Diverse Nation
According to a 2014 analysis by the Pew Research Center, Singapore was found to be the world's most religiously diverse nation, with no single religion claiming a majority.
2014: Singapore has world's highest smartphone penetration rates
In 2014, Singapore had the world's highest smartphone penetration rates, in surveys by Deloitte and the Google Consumer Barometer—at 89% and 85% of the population respectively.
March 2015: Lee Kuan Yew Dies
In March 2015, Lee Kuan Yew died, and a period of public mourning was observed.
2015: ISPs offer residential service plans of speeds up to 2 Gbit/s
As of spring 2015, some business internet service providers (ISPs) offer residential service plans of speeds up to 2 Gbit/s.
2015: Singapore's Land Area Expands
By 2015, land reclamation projects had increased Singapore's land area to 710 km², a 22% increase from the 1960s.
2015: Singapore Listed as Top World Destination
In 2015, Lonely Planet and The New York Times listed Singapore as their top and 6th-best world destinations to visit, respectively.
2015: Singapore Airlines Ranked Among World's Most-Admired Companies
In 2015, Singapore Airlines was ranked as Asia's most-admired company and the world's 19th most-admired company by Fortune.
2015: 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: Singapore Students Rank First Globally
In 2015, both its primary and secondary students ranked first in OECD's global school performance rankings across 76 countries.
2015: Secret Negotiations Revealed
In 2015, it was revealed that secret negotiations by PAP leaders helped lead to Singapore's expulsion from Malaysia.
August 2016: Indonesia Plans Tax Havens Near Singapore
In August 2016, The Straits Times reported that Indonesia decided to create tax havens on two islands near Singapore to attract Indonesian capital back into its tax base.
2016: Esplanade Arts and Culture Events
In 2016 alone, the Esplanade was the site of 5,900 free art and culture events.
2016: Joseph Schooling wins Singapore's first Olympic gold medal
In 2016, Joseph Schooling won Singapore's first Olympic gold medal at the Rio Olympics, claiming the 100-metre butterfly in a new Olympic record time of 50.39 seconds.
2016: Singapore Students Top PISA and TIMSS
In 2016, Singapore students topped both the Program International Student Assessment (PISA) and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS).
2016: Switch to Polders for Land Reclamation
In 2016, Singapore switched to using polders for land reclamation due to restrictions on sand exports from other countries.
2016: Singapore Rated Most Expensive City
In 2016, Singapore was rated as the world's most expensive city for the third consecutive year by the Economist Intelligence Unit.
2016: Tourism's Contribution to Employment
In 2016, the tourism sector generated approximately 8.6% of Singapore's employment.
2016: Estimated 4.7 million internet users in Singapore
In 2016, there were an estimated 4.7 million internet users in Singapore, representing 82.5% of the population.
August 2017: Singapore – Passion Made Possible brand unveiled
In August 2017, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and the Economic Development Board (EDB) launched a unified brand, 'Singapore – Passion Made Possible', to promote Singapore internationally for both tourism and business.
2017: Reserved Presidential Election
From 2017, the Constitution requires presidential elections to be "reserved" for a racial community under certain conditions. In 2017, Halimah Yacob won in an uncontested election and became Singapore's first female president.
2017: Singapore wins SEA Games gold medal for water polo
In 2017, Singapore's men's water polo team won the SEA Games gold medal for the 27th time, continuing Singapore sport's longest winning streak.
2017: Ulu Pandan Wastewater Treatment Plant Operation Started
In 2017, operation started for Ulu Pandan wastewater treatment plant.
June 2018: Trump-Kim 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: Singapore Remains Most Expensive City and High HDI Ranking
In 2018, Singapore remained the world's most expensive city and held the 9th position in the Human Development Index with a value of 0.935.
2018: Ulu Pandan Wastewater Treatment Plant Award
In 2018, the Ulu Pandan wastewater treatment plant won the Water/Wastewater Project of the Year Award at the Global Water Awards in Paris, France.
2018: Number of Hawker Centers
In 2018, there were 114 hawker centres spread across the city centre and heartland housing estates.
2019: Increased Liberalism on LGBT Rights
According to a survey conducted by the Institute of Policy Studies in 2019, Singaporean society has become more liberal on LGBT rights.
2019: Singaporeans Had Longest Life Expectancy
In 2019, Singaporeans had the longest life expectancy of any country at 84.8 years.
2019: Amendments to Women's Charter
In 2019, amendments were made to the Women's Charter by the government to legislate more serious punishments for traffickers.
2019: Port of Singapore Ranked Second Busiest
In 2019, the Port of Singapore was the world's second-busiest port in terms of shipping tonnage handled and containerized traffic.
2019: Semiconductor Industry Statistics
In 2019, there were more than 60 semiconductor companies in Singapore, constituting 11% of the global market share and contributing around 7% of Singapore's GDP.
2020: Delay in Satellite-Based ERP System
A satellite-based system was due to replace the physical gantries by 2020.
2020: Languages Spoken at Home
According to the 2020 census, English was the language most spoken at home, used by 48.3% of the population, and Mandarin was spoken at home by 29.9%.
2020: Changi Airport Lost Top Ranking
By 2020, Changi Airport had been superseded by Hamad International Airport in Doha.
2020: Singapore Census on Racial Descent
In 2020, the Singapore census reported that 74.3% of residents were of Chinese descent, 13.5% of Malay descent, 9.0% of Indian descent, and 3.2% of other descent. This proportion was virtually identical to the 2010 census.
2020: Coastline and Flood Protection Fund Set Aside
In its 2020 budget, the Singapore government set aside an initial $5 billion towards a Coastline and Flood Protection Fund.
2020: Singapore Religion Census
In the 2020 census, 31% of residents declared themselves Buddhist, making it the most widely practiced religion. Christianity was the second largest religion at 18.9%, followed by Islam (15.6%), Taoism and Chinese Traditional Beliefs (8.8%) and Hinduism (5.0%).
2020: PAP Drop
The 2020 election held in July saw the PAP drop to 61% of the vote, while the Workers' Party took 10 of the 93 seats.
2021: Loh Kean Yew wins badminton gold at the BWF World Championships
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: Protest for Trans Protections
In 2021, six Singaporeans protested for improved trans protections in the educational system outside the Ministry of Education headquarters at Buona Vista.
2021: Rule of Law Index Ranking
In 2021, the World Justice Project's Rule of Law Index ranked Singapore as 17th overall among 193 countries.
2022: Announcement of 377A Repeal
In 2022, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced that Singapore would repeal 377A, effectively decriminalising homosexual behaviour, but also clarified that it would not affect the recognition of "traditional familial and societal norms."
2022: Median Age Reaches New High, Live Births Hit Record Low
In 2022, the median age of Singaporean residents was 42.8, among the highest in the world. Live births hit a record low in 2022.
2022: Global Innovation Index Ranking
Singapore was ranked 7th in the Global Innovation Index in 2022.
January 2023: Repeal of Section 377A
On January 3, 2023, Section 377A of the Penal Code was officially repealed in Singapore, effectively decriminalizing homosexual behavior.
2023: Singapore's Population Estimated
As of mid-2023, Singapore's estimated population was 5,917,600, with 61.6% being citizens and the rest permanent residents, international students, foreign workers, or dependants. The population increased by 5% from the prior year, largely due to an increase of foreign workers.
2023: Busiest International Air Routes
In 2023, Changi Airport had three of the ten busiest international air routes in the world: Kuala Lumpur–Singapore, Jakarta–Singapore, and Bangkok Suvarnabhumi–Singapore.
2023: Singapore Airlines Wins World's Best Airline
In 2023, Singapore Airlines held the title of the World's Best Airline by Skytrax.
2023: International Tourist Arrivals
In 2023, Singapore attracted 13.6 million international tourists, more than double the country's total population.
2023: Singapore ranked 129 on the Press Freedom Index
In 2023, Singapore was ranked 129 on the Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders.
2023: Press Freedom Ranking
In 2023, Singapore was ranked 129th out of 180 nations on the global Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders.
2023: World Competitiveness Ranking
In 2023, Singapore was the world's 4th most competitive economy, according to the International Institute for Management Development's World Competitiveness Ranking.
May 2024: Lawrence Wong Prime Minister
On 15 May 2024, Lawrence Wong became Singapore's fourth Prime Minister.
2024: Global Peace Index Ranking
According to the 2024 Global Peace Index, Singapore is the 5th most peaceful country in the world.
2024: Max Maeder wins Singapore's first Olympic medal in sailing
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. At 17, he was also Singapore's youngest Olympic medalist.
2024: Changi Airport Superseded Again
In 2024 Changi Airport was superseded once more.
2024: MacDonald House Bombing Damage Equivalent in 2024
In 2024, the US$250,000 in damages caused to MacDonald House by the bombing in 1965 was equivalent to US$2,494,456.
2024: Military Spending
In 2024, the government of Singapore spent 2.7% of the country's GDP on the military, the highest in the region.
2026: Revised Implementation Date for Satellite-Based ERP System
Implementation of satellite-based ERP system has been delayed until 2026 due to global semiconductor shortages.
2040: Projected Water Stress
Singapore is projected to face significant water-stress by 2040.
2060: Projected Water Demand and Sources
By 2060, Singapore's water demand is expected to double to 2.8 billion litres per day, with reclaimed water accounting for 50% and desalination for 30% of the supply.
2061: Water Self-Sufficiency Goal
Singapore has declared that it will be water self-sufficient by the time its 1961 long-term water supply agreement with Malaysia expires in 2061.
