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As We Celebrate Singapore’s 53rd Birthday, Here’s a Brief History of Singapore

29 January 1819

06 February 1819

Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, and Major William Farquhar, arrived by boat and made landfall at the mouth of the Singapore River.[1]

29 September 1864

The Tanjong Pagar Dock Company was formed to provide dry dock and repair facilities for passing vessels. The dock has expanded over the years, and is now known as the Port of Singapore Authority (PSA).[6]

A free trade post was set up, which attracted trade from all over the region. Today, Singapore is still operating as a free trade port.[2]

November 1822

A town plan was formalised which started land reclamation at Boat Quay, and ethnic communities were allocated specific clusters, based on a grid layout, which is still evident to this day.[3]

05 June 1823

The Singapore Institution was set up to raise educational levels, and to preserve historical artefacts. The constituents of the institution are now known as Raffles Institution, the National Library, and the National Museum.[4]

Henry Keppel discovered the deep waters at the shores of the Singapore River which were favourable for large ships to conduct trade safely. Today, these shores are known as Keppel Harbour.[5]

01 January 1877

The Post Office Savings Bank (POSB), Singapore first savings bank was opened, and its familiar key logo are still highly visible throughout Singapore today.[7]

U.n.I Bites: National Day, Issue 1August 2018

A publication of Student Affairs Office

30 May 1848

Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles". Oil on canvas (1397 mm x 1092 mm). Given by the sitter's nephew, W.C. Raffles Flint, to the National Portrait Gallery in 1859.

Victoria Dock at Tanjong Pagar, a naval and commercial base in the British Colony of Singapore. Photo from National Maritime Museum (via Wikimedia)

28 June 1924

The Singapore-Johor causeway, which consists of a road and railway line, was opened to facilitate trade exports from the Malayan states via the ports of Singapore.[8]

12 June 1937

Kallang Airport, the first commercial airport was opened in the hopes of turning the island of Singapore into a major aviation hub.[9]

August 1941

Singapore tallest skyscraper, the Cathay Building, was built, complete with a fully air-conditioned cinema.[10]

1955 Nanyang University was founded. On 01 August 1981, Nanyang Technological Institute (NTI) was established, and subsequently became Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in 1991 following the merger with National Institute of Education (NIE).[12]

16 September 1963

Singapore officially becomes a part of Malaysia, following the merger of the Federation of Malaya.[14]

Queenstown was designated as Singapore’s first satellite town, constructed by the Housing Development Board (HDB). Today, the HDB flat forms the main form of housing for the majority of Singaporeans.[11]

09 August 1965

Singapore separated from Malaysia to become an independent and sovereign nation.[15]

References:

1. Bastin, J. S. (2012). The Founding of Singapore 1819. Singapore: National Library Board.

2. Turnbull, C. M. (2009). A History of Modern Singapore, 1819-2005. Singapore: NUS Press.

3. Lim, J. (1991, March 20). Town and Country. The Straits Times, p. 1-2.

4. Tan, B. (2002). Singapore Institution Library (1837-1944). Retrieved July 30, 2018, from http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_696_2005-01-19.html.

5. Keppel, H. (1899). A Sailor's Life Under Four Sovereigns. London: Macmillan.

6. Bogaars, G., & Gibson-Hill, C. A. (1956). The Tanjong Pagar Dock Company, 1864-1905, [and] Singapore Old Strait and New Harbour, 1300-1870. Singapore: Government Printer.

7. Consulton Research Bureau (1977). The First Hundred Years of the Post Office Savings Bank of Singapore. Singapore: Post Office Savings Bank.

8. Johore Causeway (1923, October 1). The Straits Times, p. 10.

9. Kallang and the future (1953, December 14). The Singapore Free Press, p. 6.

10. Lim, K. T. (1991). Cathay: 55 Years of Cinema. Singapore: Landmark Books for Meileen Choo.

11. Wong, A. K., & Yeh, S. H. K. (1985). Housing A Nation: 25 years of Public Housing in Singapore. Singapore: Published by Maruzen Asia for Housing & Development Board.

12. Nanyang Technological University (2017). Corporate Information - Our History. Retrieved July 30, 2018, from http://www.ntu.edu.sg/AboutNTU/CorporateInfo/Pages/OurHistory.aspx.

13. Turnbull, C. M. (2009). A History of Modern Singapore, 1819-2005. Singapore: NUS Press

14. Tan, T. Y. (2008). Creating "Greater Malaysia": Decolonization and the Politics of Merger. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.

15. United Nations (1965, August 7). Agreement relating to the separation of Singapore from Malaysia as an independent and sovereign state. Signed at Kuala Lumpur, on 7 August 1965. Retrieved July 30, 2018, from http://treaties.un.org/doc/Publication/UNTS/Volume%20563/volume-563-I-8206-English.pdf.

Image Links:

Stamford Raffles https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stamford_Raffles#/media/File:George_Francis_Joseph_-_Sir_Thomas_Stamford_Bingley_Raffles.jpg

Tanjong Pagar Dock: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Victoria_Dock,_Tanjong_Pagar,_in_the_1890s.jpg

Johor Causeway: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johor%E2%80%93Singapore_Causeway#/media/File:Singapore-Johor_Causeway.jpg

Old NTU: https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2016/09/10/the-honourable-children-of-nantah-and-the-worms/

Orchid and Image of Singapore from Kisspng:https://www.kisspng.com/png-waling-waling-cypripedium-popular-orchids-flower-c-673555/ https://www.kisspng.com/png-package-tour-history-of-the-republic-of-singapore-2590072/

1952

October 1957 - The Singapore Citizenship Ordinance was passed, allowing residents, who fulfilled certain criteria, to take up Singapore citizenship.[13]

October 1957

The Singapore-Johor causeway, spanning across the Johor Straits. It is one of two bridges which connect Singapore to Malaysia and Continental Asia. Photo by Calvin Teo (via Wikimedia)

Photo courtesy of NTU (via The Online Citizen)