{"slug": "singapore", "label": "Singapore", "wikipedia": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore", "wikidata": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q334", "qid": "Q334", "description": "sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia", "entries": 36, "years": 31, "span": [1603, 2025], "span_label": ["1603 CE", "2025 CE"], "topics": [{"title": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "count": 13}, {"title": "Disasters & Accidents", "count": 4}, {"title": "Technology & Infrastructure", "count": 4}, {"title": "Culture & Society", "count": 3}, {"title": "Conflict & Security", "count": 2}, {"title": "Exploration & Expansion", "count": 2}, {"title": "Economy & Finance", "count": 2}, {"title": "Crime & Justice", "count": 2}, {"title": "Religion & Belief", "count": 2}, {"title": "Science & Discovery", "count": 1}, {"title": "Deaths", "count": 1}], "also_known_as": [], "related": [{"slug": "malaysia", "label": "Malaysia", "shared": 7}, {"slug": "federation-of-malaya", "label": "Federation of Malaya", "shared": 2}, {"slug": "kuala-lumpur", "label": "Kuala Lumpur", "shared": 2}, {"slug": "september", "label": "September", "shared": 1}, {"slug": "governor-general-of-india", "label": "Governor-General of India", "shared": 1}, {"slug": "east-india-company", "label": "East India Company", "shared": 1}, {"slug": "switzerland", "label": "Switzerland", "shared": 1}, {"slug": "south-korea", "label": "South Korea", "shared": 1}, {"slug": "monaco", "label": "Monaco", "shared": 1}, {"slug": "sri-lanka", "label": "Sri Lanka", "shared": 1}, {"slug": "bangladesh", "label": "Bangladesh", "shared": 1}, {"slug": "hong-kong", "label": "Hong Kong", "shared": 1}], "items": [{"year": 1603, "year_label": "1603 CE", "section": "Conflict & Security", "date": "February 25", "text": "February 25 – Dutch–Portuguese War: the Portuguese ship Santa Catarina is seized by Dutch East India Company ships off Singapore.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1366656830#January–March", "title": "1603", "revid": 1366656830, "section": "Events › January–March"}}, {"year": 1818, "year_label": "1818 CE", "section": "Exploration & Expansion", "date": "September", "text": "September – Sir Stamford Raffles sets out to visit Lord Hastings, Governor-General of India, to gain his approval to establish a trading station at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula (modern-day Singapore).", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1373165947#July–September", "title": "1818", "revid": 1373165947, "section": "Events › July–September"}}, {"year": 1819, "year_label": "1819 CE", "section": "Science & Discovery", "date": "January 29", "text": "January 29 – Sir Stamford Raffles lands on the island of Singapore.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1355822452#January–March", "title": "1819", "revid": 1355822452, "section": "Events › January–March"}}, {"year": 1819, "year_label": "1819 CE", "section": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "date": "February 6", "text": "February 6 – The Treaty of Singapore, is signed between Hussein Shah of Johor and Sir Stamford Raffles of Britain, to create a trading settlement in Singapore.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1355822452#January–March", "title": "1819", "revid": 1355822452, "section": "Events › January–March"}}, {"year": 1823, "year_label": "1823 CE", "section": "Culture & Society", "date": "June 5", "text": "June 5 – Raffles Institution is established (as the Singapore Institution) by the founder of Singapore, Sir Stamford Raffles.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1361959841#April–June", "title": "1823", "revid": 1361959841, "section": "Events › April–June"}}, {"year": 1824, "year_label": "1824 CE", "section": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "date": "August 2", "text": "2 August - The Treaty of Friendship and Alliance in Singapore was signed. The sultans of Johor cedes Singapore and its islands 10 geographical miles away from it to the British East India Company", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1351500021#August", "title": "1824 in Singapore", "revid": 1351500021, "section": "Events › August"}}, {"year": 1867, "year_label": "1867 CE", "section": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "date": "April 1", "text": "April 1 – The Strait Settlement of Singapore, formerly ruled from Calcutta, becomes a Crown colony, under the jurisdiction of the Colonial Office in London.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1365231456#April", "title": "1867", "revid": 1365231456, "section": "Events › April"}}, {"year": 1883, "year_label": "1883 CE", "section": "Deaths", "date": "September 23", "text": "September 23: Seah Eu Chin, Singapore", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1341856101#Deaths", "title": "1883 in China", "revid": 1341856101, "section": "Deaths"}}, {"year": 1899, "year_label": "1899 CE", "section": "Economy & Finance", "date": "June 15", "text": "June 15 – Cycle & Carriage, now one of the largest investment companies in Singapore, is founded, initially to sell bicycles and motor vehicles.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1371393177#June", "title": "1899", "revid": 1371393177, "section": "Events › June"}}, {"year": 1941, "year_label": "1941 CE", "section": "Disasters & Accidents", "date": "December 10", "text": "December 10 – British battleship HMS Prince of Wales and battlecruiser HMS Repulse are sunk by Japanese aircraft in the South China Sea north of Singapore.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1372706275#December", "title": "1941", "revid": 1372706275, "section": "Events › December"}}, {"year": 1953, "year_label": "1953 CE", "section": "Disasters & Accidents", "date": "March 3", "text": "March 3 – CF-CUN, a de Havilland DH-106 Comet 1A of CPAL named Empress of Hawaii, crashed during takeoff from Karachi's Mauripur RAF Station during its delivery flight at 03:35 at 30 m (98 feet) elevation, killing all 11 occupants. The plane was headed to Singapore's Seletar Airport to be flown to Sydney for an inaugural flight to Honolulu on April 28. The crash was found to have been caused by the pilot, who had little experience with the Comet, taking off at night without obeying prescribed takeoff technique.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1281609977#Events", "title": "1953 in Pakistan", "revid": 1281609977, "section": "Events"}}, {"year": 1954, "year_label": "1954 CE", "section": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "date": "November 21", "text": "November 21 – People's Action Party, an eventual dominative political party in Singapore, was established.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1369212684#November", "title": "1954", "revid": 1369212684, "section": "Events › November"}}, {"year": 1955, "year_label": "1955 CE", "section": "Disasters & Accidents", "date": "August 11", "text": "11 August – A Rhodesian soldier named Shaweleka Fungabelo killed six people and wounded at least twelve people on a mail train travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore before committing suicide.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1302081904#Events", "title": "1955 in Malaya", "revid": 1302081904, "section": "Events"}}, {"year": 1959, "year_label": "1959 CE", "section": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "date": "June 3", "text": "June 3 – Singapore becomes a self-governing crown colony of Britain with Lee Kuan Yew as Prime Minister.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1370221732#June", "title": "1959", "revid": 1370221732, "section": "Events › June"}}, {"year": 1961, "year_label": "1961 CE", "section": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "date": "May 27", "text": "May 27 – Tunku Abdul Rahman, Prime Minister of Malaya, holds a press conference in Singapore, announcing his idea to form the Federation of Malaysia, comprising Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak, Brunei and North Borneo (Sabah).", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1372676854#May", "title": "1961", "revid": 1372676854, "section": "Events › May"}}, {"year": 1963, "year_label": "1963 CE", "section": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "date": "September 16", "text": "September 16 – Malaysia is formed through the merging of the Federation of Malaya and the British crown colony of Singapore, North Borneo (renamed Sabah) and Sarawak.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1370539540#September", "title": "1963", "revid": 1370539540, "section": "Events › September"}}, {"year": 1964, "year_label": "1964 CE", "section": "Culture & Society", "date": "July", "text": "July – Famous Malay film actor, director and songwriter, P. Ramlee and his wife Saloma were moved from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1373377147#Events", "title": "1964 in Malaysia", "revid": 1373377147, "section": "Events"}}, {"year": 1964, "year_label": "1964 CE", "section": "Conflict & Security", "date": "July 21", "text": "July 21 – Race riots begin in Singapore between ethnic Chinese and Malays.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1371069587#July", "title": "1964", "revid": 1371069587, "section": "Events › July"}}, {"year": 1965, "year_label": "1965 CE", "section": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "date": "August 7", "text": "August 7 – Tunku Abdul Rahman, Prime Minister of Malaysia, recommends the expulsion of Singapore from the Federation of Malaysia following a deterioration of PAP–UMNO relations, negotiating its separation with Lee Kuan Yew, Prime Minister of Singapore.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1368843670#July–August", "title": "1965", "revid": 1368843670, "section": "Events › July–August"}}, {"year": 1965, "year_label": "1965 CE", "section": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "date": "August 9", "text": "August 9 – Proclamation of Singapore: Singapore is expelled from the Federation of Malaysia, which recognises it as a sovereign nation. Lee Kuan Yew announces Singapore's independence and assumes the position of Prime Minister of the new island nation – a position he holds until 1990.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1368843670#July–August", "title": "1965", "revid": 1368843670, "section": "Events › July–August"}}, {"year": 1965, "year_label": "1965 CE", "section": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "date": "September 21", "text": "September 21 – Gambia, Maldives and Singapore are admitted as members of the United Nations.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1368843670#September–October", "title": "1965", "revid": 1368843670, "section": "Events › September–October"}}, {"year": 1972, "year_label": "1972 CE", "section": "Exploration & Expansion", "date": "March", "text": "March – Lee Kuan Yew's first visit to Malaysia after Singapore's separation from Malaysia on August 9 1965.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1373376599#Events", "title": "1972 in Malaysia", "revid": 1373376599, "section": "Events"}}, {"year": 1973, "year_label": "1973 CE", "section": "Crime & Justice", "date": "July 27", "text": "27 July – For the first time in Singapore, the government executed its first female death row inmate in the country since its independence eight years back. 34-year-old Mimi Wong was earlier sentenced to death by the High Court for the 1970 murder of Ayako Watanabe, and has lost her appeals since. Wong's 40-year-old husband Sim Wor Kum, who assisted her to commit the murder, was also executed on the same day as Wong.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1363330240#July", "title": "1973 in Singapore", "revid": 1363330240, "section": "Events › July"}}, {"year": 1974, "year_label": "1974 CE", "section": "Crime & Justice", "date": "January 31", "text": "January 31 – Two members of the Japanese Red Army (JRA) and two members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) made a failed attempt to blow up oil tanks at the Shell oil refinery complex on Pulau Bukom at Singapore. The terrorists then hijacked the ferry Laju and took its five crew members hostage.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1372602919#January–February", "title": "1974", "revid": 1372602919, "section": "Events › January–February"}}, {"year": 1979, "year_label": "1979 CE", "section": "Technology & Infrastructure", "date": "October 20", "text": "October 20 – The first McDonald's in Singapore opens at Liat Towers in Orchard Road.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1371786119#October", "title": "1979", "revid": 1371786119, "section": "Events › October"}}, {"year": 1982, "year_label": "1982 CE", "section": "Technology & Infrastructure", "date": "January 1", "text": "January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00).", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1373279023#January", "title": "1982", "revid": 1373279023, "section": "Events › January"}}, {"year": 1982, "year_label": "1982 CE", "section": "Technology & Infrastructure", "date": "January 1", "text": "1 January – The time zone in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore changed to GMT+08:00, and it has not changed since.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1373377842#Events", "title": "1982 in Malaysia", "revid": 1373377842, "section": "Events"}}, {"year": 1984, "year_label": "1984 CE", "section": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "date": null, "text": "The First South-East Asian Cricket Tournament was held in Dhaka in January. Two teams from the host country were joined by teams from Singapore and Hong Kong. The Bangladesh national team won the trophy, and thus qualified for the 1986 Asia Cup in Sri Lanka.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1365970288#Sports", "title": "1984 in Bangladesh", "revid": 1365970288, "section": "Events › Sports"}}, {"year": 1987, "year_label": "1987 CE", "section": "Technology & Infrastructure", "date": "November 7", "text": "November 7 – Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system in Singapore opens for passenger service.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1372769014#November", "title": "1987", "revid": 1372769014, "section": "Events › November"}}, {"year": 1992, "year_label": "1992 CE", "section": "Religion & Belief", "date": "March 31", "text": "March 31 – The Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act of Singapore comes into force.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1368521010#March", "title": "1992", "revid": 1368521010, "section": "Events › March"}}, {"year": 1997, "year_label": "1997 CE", "section": "Religion & Belief", "date": "April 23", "text": "April 23 – Thirty-one branches of Monte de Piedad, the Asia's oldest thrift bank formerly owned by the Archdiocese of Manila, go on \"bank holiday\" after being declared insolvent by the BSP. Church officials, including Cardinal and archbishop Sin, have been accused of causing the collapse of the bank. The bank reopens on May 8 under the Singaporean conglomerate Keppel Group.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1370686981#Business_and_economy", "title": "1997 in the Philippines", "revid": 1370686981, "section": "Business and economy"}}, {"year": 2008, "year_label": "2008 CE", "section": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "date": "May 21", "text": "May 21 – The International Court of Justice awards Middle Rocks to Malaysia and Pedra Branca to Singapore, ending a 29-year territorial dispute between the two countries.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1372634791#May", "title": "2008", "revid": 1372634791, "section": "Events › May"}}, {"year": 2014, "year_label": "2014 CE", "section": "Disasters & Accidents", "date": "December 28", "text": "December 28 – Indonesia AirAsia Flight 8501 from Surabaya, Indonesia, to Singapore crashes into the Java Sea just southwest of Borneo, killing all 162 people on board.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1373534475#December", "title": "2014", "revid": 1373534475, "section": "Events › December"}}, {"year": 2018, "year_label": "2018 CE", "section": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "date": "June 12", "text": "June 12 – The 2018 North Korea–United States summit is held in Singapore. It is the first summit between a sitting United States President and a North Korean leader.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1373090883#June", "title": "2018", "revid": 1373090883, "section": "Events › June"}}, {"year": 2022, "year_label": "2022 CE", "section": "Economy & Finance", "date": "February 28", "text": "February 28 – 2022 Russian financial crisis: In an unprecedented move, Switzerland, Monaco, Singapore and South Korea impose unilateral sanctions over Russia including the introduction of export controls and asset freezes.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1371998228#February", "title": "2022", "revid": 1371998228, "section": "Events › February"}}, {"year": 2025, "year_label": "2025 CE", "section": "Culture & Society", "date": "July 11", "text": "July 11 – August 3 – The 2025 World Aquatics Championships are held in Singapore.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1372865033#July", "title": "2025", "revid": 1372865033, "section": "Events › July"}}]}