The Singapore Timeline
From Pagenation
Timeline of Events:
2007 Li Hongyi, second son of former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and grandson of former Mentor Minister Lee Kuan Yew, was reprimanded.
2006 - Singapore hosts IMF-World Bank annual meeting. Lee Hsien Loong's ruling People's Action Party wins general elections.
2005 - Singapore Government approves a controversial plan to legalise casino gambling, paving the way for the construction of two multi-billion dollar casino resorts. President S R Nathan begins a second, six-year term after winning elections from which his rivals were disqualified. Singapore, Malaysia settle a bitter dispute over land reclamation work in their border waters.
2004 - Lee Hsien Loong, eldest son of former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, is sworn in as prime minister.
2003 - Major research centre, Biopolis, opens. It cost $500m to build and aims to make Singapore a world centre in new sciences. Singapore becomes first Asian nation to sign free-trade deal with US. Outbreak of pneumonia-like Sars virus; Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong says outbreak is worst crisis country has faced.
2002 - Japan, Singapore sign free trade agreement.
2001 - Malaysia, Singapore agree to end series of long-standing disputes ranging from water supplies to air space. They agree to build new bridge and tunnel. General election landslide victory for governing People's Action Party which secures all but two of the 84 seats. A pipeline feeding gas to Singapore from Indonesia's Natuna field in the South China Sea opens. Unprecedented anti-government rally - the first legal demonstration outside election campaign. Hundreds gather to support veteran opposition leader J.B. Jeyaretnam who faces bankruptcy and thus expulsion from parliament.
The economy depends heavily on exports, particularly in electronics and manufacturing. It was hard hit in 2001-2003 by the global recession and the slump in the technology sector.
2000 - Singapore Airlines 747 airliner (Flight SQ006) crashes while taking off in high winds at Taipei airport, killing 81 passengers and crew.
1999 - S R Nathan becomes president without election after he is declared only candidate eligible to run.
1998 - Singapore slips into recession for the first time in 13 years during Asian financial crisis.
1997 - Singaporean SilkAir airliner (Flight MI185) crashes into river in south Sumatra, with the loss of all 104 passengers and crew.
1995 - Nick Leeson's disastrous dealings on Singapore stock exchange lead to collapse of Britain's oldest merchant bank, Barings.
1994 - Caning of American teenager Michael Fay for vandalising cars grabs world headlines.
1993 - Ong Teng Cheong becomes first directly-elected president.
1990 - Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew stands down after 31 years, but continues to exert significant influence as senior minister. Goh Chok Tong becomes new prime minister.
1984 - Two opposition MPs elected to parliament for first time.
1973 - NTUC Welcome was formed.
1971 - Last British military forces withdrawn.
1967 - Singapore founder member of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).
1965 - Singapore becomes a republic after Singapore pulls out of the Federation of Malaysia, at Malaysia's invitation, amid political and ethnic tensions. The territory becomes an independent republic and joins the United Nations.
1963 - Singapore joins the Federation of Malaya, Sabah (North Borneo), and Sarawak in the Federation of Malaysia.
1961 Merger was proposed by Tengku Abdul Rahman, the Prime Minister of Malaya. 1959 - There was an election that gave Singapore full self-government. PAP (People's Action Party) was led by Lee Kuan Yew, and they won the election this year. Lee Kuan Yew thus became Singapore's 1st Prime Minister.
1957 Lim Yew Hock successfully gained full self-government for Singapore. 1946 - Singapore becomes separate Crown Colony.
1945 - Japan defeated. The British returned to Singapore after the end of World War II.
1942 - Singapore falls to Japan, which renames it Syonan (Light of the South). 1941 - World War II. Japan bombs Singapore.
1922 - Singapore becomes main British naval base in East Asia.
1869 - Suez Canal opens, trade blooms in Singapore.
1867 - Straits Settlements become Crown Colony of British Empire.
1832 - Singapore becomes Capital of Straits Settlements. The port attracts thousands of migrants from China, India and other parts of Asia.
1826 - Singapore, Malacca and Penang become British Colony of the Straits Settlements.
1819 - Sir Stamford Raffles of British East India Company establishes trading post on Singapore island. The treaty was signed between Sultan Hussein, the Temenggong and Raffles and the British flag was hoisted.
1297: Port of Temasek founded.