| Date | Singapore | SEAsia | China & East Asia | Rest of Asia | West |
| 2008 | 1 Jan: PrimaDeli outlets reopen. 8 Feb: Chua Ek Kay passes away from cancer. 8 Feb: Ah Meng passes away. 12 Feb: Groundbreaking ceremony in Chinatown for Downtown [MRT] Line. 27 Feb: Mas Selamat bin Kastari escapes from Whitley Road Detention Centre. 2 Apr: Formation of Casino Regulatory Authority. 1 May: Tekka Centre closes for upgrading. 10 May: Opening of pedestrian bridges Henderson Waves & Alexandra Arch. 26-28 Sep: Inaugral Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix. 30 Sept: Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam (JBJ) passes away. |
Burma, 2-4 May: Cyclone Nargis. Malaysia, 15 Oct: Hindraf (Hindu Rights Action Force) banned. Malaysia, 15 Oct: Standard Chartered vs Tuanku Ja'afar Tuanku Abdul Rahman verdict (first successful trial against a sultan). |
China, 12 May: Sichuan Earthquake. | Bhutan, 24 Mar: First parliamentary elections. India, 26-29 Nov: Mumbai Attacks. |
US, 15 Sep: Lehman Brothers files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. |
| 2007 | Capitol Theatre declared a conservation area. LASALLE College of the Arts moves to McNally St campus. 20 Jan: UNSW Asia opens Kay Siang Rd campus. 12 Mar: UNSW S'pore campus starts first academic term. 10 Apr: Martyn See's documentary, Zahari's 17 Years, banned from April 12th onwards. 21 Apr: Dr Sheng Nam Ching passes away. 24 Apr: Jeyaretnam given conditional discharge from bankruptcy. 10 May: Jeyaretnam pays off balance of defamation damages. 23 May: UNSW announces closure of its S'pore campus. 30 Jun: National Stadium closing ceremony. 13 Jul: 2Lt Li Hongyi's email complaint makes the news. 21 Aug: Howe Yoon Chong passes away. |
Indonesia, 17 Jan: Harian Indonesia relaunched as Sin Chew-Harian Indonesia. Malaysia, 13 Dec: Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leaders detained under ISA. |
China, Dec: Song dynasty shipwreck, Nanhai 1, raised from sea. | India, 18 Feb: Samjhauta Express bombing. Pakistan, 3 Nov - 15 Dec: State of emergency imposed by Pervez Musharraf. Pakistan, 27 Dec: Benazir Bhutto assassinated. |
NY, 11 Apr: Kurt Vonnegut passes away. US, 16 Apr: Virgina Tech shooting. US, 9 Sep: First election debate in Spanish. |
| 2006 | Singapore Tourism Board (STB) returns Capitol Theatre to Singapore Land Authority (SLA). 15 Jan: Buangkok MRT station opens. 10 Feb: Chee Soon Juan declared bankrupt. 22 Feb: Sinnathamby Rajaratnam passes away. 6 May: General Elections 20 Jul: Lim Kim San passes away. 19 Oct: Wee Shu Min's "get out of my elite uncaring face" post. |
Malaysia: Terengganu changes state animal from turtle to clownfish. | HK, 27 Nov: Ong Chye Ann passes away. North Korea, 9 Oct: N Korean nuclear weapon test. |
Iraq, 30 Dec: Saddam Hussein hanged. | Peru, Oct: Abimael Guzman sentenced to life. |
| 2005 | Selegie Complex demolished. Jan: Kranji Countryside Association formed. 31 Jan: Lee Kuan Yew vs Jamie Han incident @ Ministerial Forum @ NUS. 2 May: Wee Kim Wee dies of cancer. Jul: Hugo Restall's article, Singapore’s 'Martyr,' Chee Soon Juan, published in Far Eastern Economic Review. 14 Jul: NKF Board resigns. 22 Jul: Reopening of National Library at Victoria St. Aug: Police MRT Unit formed. 27 Aug: Buangkok MRT station white elephant incident. 12 Nov: Official opening of new National Library Building. 13 Nov: Tan Sri Tan Chin Tuan passes away. |
Thailand, Feb: National elections. Myanmar, Nov: Move of capital from Rangoon to Pyinmana announced. |
India: Muslim militants attack Ram Janmabhumi site, Ayodhya. | New York24-26 Jun: Last Billy Graham Crusade. US, 5 Oct: Recreation of 1918 Flu Virus announced in Science. Canada, 6 Dec: Chengara Veetil Devan Nair Passes away in Hamilton. |
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| 2004 | 31 Mar: National Library Building (Stamford Rd) closes. Apr: National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) Chairman Willie Cheng criticises NKF as having too much in reserves. 20 Apr: Nicoll Highway collapse. 20 Apr: UNSW announces plan for S'pore campus. 12 Aug: BG Lee Hsien Loong sworn in as Prime Minister. 10 Oct: Florence Yeapp Sui Phek, wife of Toh Chin Chye passes away. |
Thailand, 4 Jan: Raid on Narathiwat Rajanakarin army camp. Thailand, 28 Apr: April 28th attacks & Krue Se Mosque Raid. Thailand, 20 Oct: Tak Bai incident. Indonesia, 26 Dec: Aceh earthquake & tsunami. |
China: Translation of 二十四史 [er shi si shi] (24 Histories] into modern Chinese completed. | India, 18 May: Sonia Gandhi refuses to become Prime Minister. | |
| 2003 |
Last Overseas Union Bank (OUB) bank branch converts into a United Overseas Bank (UOB) branch. 1 Jan: Compulsory primary education comes into force. 2 Jan: Nur Asikeen Azhar wears tudong to sch (Eunos Pri). 21 Feb: PUB starts supplying NEWater for industrial use. May: Victoria School moves from Geylang Bahru to Siglap Link. 31 May: WHO declares S'pore SARS free. 25 Nov: Sidney Woodhull passes away. |
HK, 21 Feb: Patient A from Guangdong checks into Metropole Hotel (Kowloon) & spreads SARS. | Iraq, 20 Mar: US declares war on Iraq and starts bombing. Iraq, 21 Mar: American Marines kill ITN reporter Terry Lloyd 'unlawfully'. |
Peru: Abimael Guzman's military trial conviction overturned & civilian retrial ordered. 10 Feb: ProMED posting of unknown illness in China (SARS). Mar-May: SARS. US, 1 Feb: Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrates during reentry, all crew lost. |
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| 2002 | Subhas Anandan granted Singapore citizenship. Police whistle decommissioned. Jan-Feb: Tudung issue. 19 Jan: Gov't calls Fateha a fringe group. 8 Feb: Ong Teng Cheong dies of cancer. 1 May: Chee Soon Juan & Zulfikar Mohamad Shariff arrested. 19,22 May: Zulfikar Mohamad Shariff hosts PAS officials. 18 Jul: Zulfikar Mohamad Shariff flees to Australia. 24 Jul: Fire @ National Stadium NDP choir stage. |
Indonesia, 12 Oct: Bombing in Kuta, Bali (Bali Bombing). | China, 16 Nov: First known SARS case. | President Bush makes Guantánamo Bay Detention Camp
the main detention centre for 'unlawful enemy combatants'. Palestine, 2 Apr: Israeli attack on Bethlehem. Palestine, 3 Apr: Al Aqsa Brigade members take refuge in the Church of the Nativity & Israelis seige it. Palestine, 10 May: Seige of the Church of the Nativity ends. |
Ireland, 27 Aug: Brother Joseph McNally passes away. |
| 2001 | National Environmental Agency (NEA) starts 10yr hawker centre upgrading programme. Gay World (快乐世界) demolished. Conversion of common law land to Torrens land title system completed SMRT acquires TIBS. Subhas Anandan given Legal Eagle Award. 19 Jan: J B Jeyaratnam declared bankrupt. 1 Feb: Small fire @ National Stadium grandstand. Sep: Agreement for merger of Overseas Union Bank (OUB) into United Overseas Bank (UOB). 23 Sep: Memorial service for Sept 11 @ National Stadium. |
Kalimantan Tengah, 18-26 Feb: Sampit War. | Pakistan: General Pervez Musharraf appoints himself President. India, 13 Dec: Attack on Parliament. |
US, 11 Jun: Execution of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh. US, 11 Sep: Terrorist attacks on New York World Trade Center and Pentagon using hijacked airliners (9/11). |
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| 2000 | Land Office evicts Gay World (快乐世界) tenants. Capitol Theatre given to Singapore Tourism Board (STB). Verbum Dei Mission arrives. 6 Jan: INSEAD launches global MBA programme. 4 Mar: Opening of Singapore Racecourse in Kranji. 3 Apr: Puthucheary passes away (stroke). 3 Sep: Tang Choon Keng (C K Tang) passes away. 23 Oct: INSEAD opens S'pore campus. 31 Oct: SIA SQ006 crash at Taipei's Chiang Kai Shek Airport. Nov: DBS Land & Pidemco Land formally merge to become CapitaLand. Dec: National Institute of Education moves to Nanyang Technological University site. |
Indonesia, 17 Jan: President Abdurrahman Wahid revokes PP. No. 14/1967 with Keputusan Presiden RI No. 6 Tahun 2000. | ISS, 2 Nov: First crew arrives. | ||
| 1999 | 1 Apr: Public Works Department (PWD) corporatised (privatised). 30 Jul: First Lady Ling Siew May, wife of President Ong Teng Cheong dies of cancer. 1 Sep: President R S Nathan takes office. 6 Sep: Chung Khiaw Bank merged into United Overseas Bank (UOB). 9 Sep: Launch of Yusof Ishak banknote series. Sep: Opening ceremony of new parliament building. |
Indonesia, 19 Jan: Dispute between driver & passenger starts Maluku conflict. Kalimantan Barat, 15-23 Mar: Sambas Incident (Dayaks attack Madurese). Hanoi, 30 Apr: Cambodia admitted into ASEAN. East Timor, 30 Aug: Referendum. |
China, Apr:
Incident in 天津 (Tianjin) over 法轮功 (Fa Lun Gong) article by 何祚庥 (He Zuo Xiu). China, 20 July: 法轮功 (Fa Lun Gong) banned. |
Pakistan, 12 Oct: General Pervez Musharraf takes power in a coup d'état. | |
| 1998 | Capitol Theatre closes. Van Kleef Aquarium building is torn down. Brothers of Mercy & Religious of the Cenacle arrive. 7-31 Jul: The Singapore Story National Education Exhibition. 16 Nov: DBS buys POSB. 26 Nov: Chia Thye Poh freed. 12 Dec: Paddy Chew goes public about his HIV. |
Java, 18 Mar: Student protests start. Java, 12 May: Trisakti University student protestors killings. Java, 13-15 May: Riots. Indonesia, 18 May: Parliament calls on Suharto to step down. Indonesia, 21 May: Suharto steps down. Malaysia, 20-21 Sep: ISA detentions of Anwar Ibrahim supporters. |
Africa, 7 Aug: Bombing of US embassies
in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. USSR, 20 Nov: International Space Station (ISS) construction begins with launch of Zarya. |
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| 1997 | Kandang Kerbau Hospital (KK) renamed KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital
& moves to new complex @ 100 Bt Timah Rd. Jan: Launch of DVD sales. 2 Jan: General Elections. 4/5 Jan: Tang Liang Hong flees S'pore. 12 Oct: Lee Kuan Yew's father, Lee Chin Koon, passes away. 20 Dec: Silkair crash near Palembang. 30 Dec: Memorial service for SilkAir crash @ National Stadium. |
Indonesia, Jul: Indonesia starts boarding ships bunkering off Pulau Nipa. Thailand, 2 Jul: Thai baht floated, triggering the Asian currency crisis. Malaysia, 23 Jul: Laos & Myanmar admitted into ASEAN. |
HK, 23 Jul: SCMP portrays Indonesian law enforcement at Pulau Nipa as a "territorial dispute". | India: Sonia Gandhi joins the Indian National Congress. | 14-15 May: Speculative attacks on Thai baht (which was pegged to the US$). |
| 1996 | Work on Kranji race course begins. Stamp duties on all promissory notes abolished. 17 Jan: High Court judgement over Christopher Lingle, International Herald Tribune case. 5 Feb: Lim Chin Siong passes away. 2 Apr: Inaugration of Taoist Mission. 21 May: Parliamentary debate over HPL Nassim Jade & Scotts 28 condo sales to Lees. Jun: Lee Kuan Yew & Lee Hsien Loong file defamation suit against Tang Liang Hong & HK's Yazhou Zhoukan. |
SEA, Dec: Singapore & Indonesia warn shipping not to bunker (refuel) off Pulau Nipa. | Saudi Arabia, 25 Jun: Al-Khobar bombing. | Australia, 28 Apr: Port Arthur Massacre. | |
| 1995 | CapitaLand acquires Selegie Complex. Missionaries of Charity & Daughters of St Paul arrive. Apr: Opening of Bugis Junction. 1 Aug: Tony Tan rejoins Cabinet as DPM & Defence Minister. 18 Aug: LASALLE College of the Arts' Mountbatten campus expansion opened & Telok Kurau campus moved to Mountbatten. 1 Sep: National Library Board formed & takes over assets of former National Library. 1 Sep: Postal code changed to six-digits. 16 Sep: Tang Choon Keng retires & Tang Wee Sung takes over C K Tang. 12 Dec: David Marshall passes away. |
Brunei, 28 Jul: Vietnam admitted into ASEAN. | Japan, 20 Mar: Tokyo subway Aum Shinrikyo Sarin gas attack. | Saudi Arabia, 13 Nov: Saudi National Guard bombing. | US, 19 Apr: Oklahoma City bombing. |
| 1994 | VCDs come on the market. Tang Wee Cheng sells out of Tang Choon Keng Realty in family feud. 24 Feb: Ven. Kong Hiap passes away. 3 Mar: Michael Fay sentenced to caning & jail. Apr: Archbishop Gregory Yong consecrates Church of St Anthony's church @ Woodlands. 5 May: Michael Fay caned. 17 Jul: Tangs starts opening on Sundays. 2 Aug: Philip Bowring's article published in International Herald Tribune. 31 Aug: International Herald Tribune apologies for Philip Bowring article. 3 Sep: Catherine Lim's Great Affective Divide article published in the Straits Times. 7 Oct: Christopher Lingle's article appears in the International Herald Tribune. 20 Oct: Christopher Lingle flees S'pore. 20 Nov: Catherine Lim's One Government, Two Styles article published in the Straits Times. 4 Dec: PM Goh Chok Tong replies to Catherine Lim's articles. Lee Wah Bank merged into its parent, United Overseas Bank (UOB). 10 Dec: International Herald Tribune apologies for Christopher Lingle article. |
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| 1993 | Abolition of appeals to the Privy Council & establishment of the Court of Final Appeal. Woodbridge Hospital moves to Buangkok Green Medical Park in Hougang. LASALLE College of the Arts renamed LASALLE-SIA College of the Arts. Marine Police renamed Marine Coast Guard. 2 Apr: Remission of Lee Hsien Loong's cancer announced. 5-14 Apr: Chee Soon Juan's 'hunger strike'. 10 Apr: NUS fires Chee Soon Juan 'with immediate effect'. 17 May: Chiam See Tong resigns from SDP. 3 Jun: Dr Yeoh Ghim Seng dies of cancer. 12-20 Jun: SEA Games. 5 Aug: Dr Tay Eng Soon dies of heart failure. 6 Aug: SDP CEC expels founder Chiam See Tong. 20 Aug: SDP announces expulsion of Chiam See Tong. 28 Aug: First Presidential Elections. 1 Sep: First elected President, Ong Teng Cheong, takes office. 12 Nov: Application of English Law Act came into force. |
Japan, 15 Aug: Prime Minister Hosokawa Morihiro makes first Japanese apology for World War II. | US, 26 Feb: First New York World Trade Center bombing. May: UN Security Council convenes the second war crimes tribunal. |
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| 1992 | Tang Dynasty Village opens. Construction on new Kandang Kerbau Hospital (KK) begins. Singapore Council of Social Service (SCSS) becomes National Council of Social Service (NCSS). Numbers of judges needed to hear a capital case reduced to one. LASALLE College of the Arts' Mountbatten campus opened. Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea's church @ Yishun consecrated. 6 Apr: George Edwin Bogaars passes away. 16 Nov: Announcement that Lee Hsien Loong & Ong Teng Cheong both have cancer. 28 Nov: Chia Thye Poh allowed to live on mainland (conditional release). 3 Dec: Goh Chok Tong becomes PAP Secretary-General. 7 Dec: Dhanabalan returns to Cabinet. 19 Dec: Marine Parade by-election. |
China: 李洪志 (Li Hong Zhi) founds 法轮大法 (Fa Lun Da Fa) aka 法轮功 (Fa Lun Gong). | India, 6 Dec: Hindu militants destroy Babri Masjid in Ayodhya. | Peru: Abimael Guzman captured. | |
| 1991 | Lee Seng Gee marries Della Suantio. Opening of Underwater World, Sentosa. Van Kleef Aquarium closes. 26-27 March: Hijacking of SQ117. 27 May: Glenn Knight arrested. 16 Jun: First New Paper Big Walk. 1 Jul: National Institute of Education formed as part of Nanyang Technological University. 1 Jul: Nanyang Technological Institute renamed Nanyang Technological University. 31 Aug: General Elections. 15 Sep: R(A) category for movies introduced. |
Iraq, 16 Jan: Bombing of Iraq starts the Gulf War. Iraq, 3 Mar: Gulf War ceasefire. India, 21 May: Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi. Prague, 1 Jul: Warsaw Pact dissolved. |
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| 1990 | Malayan Breweries renamed Asia Pacific Breweries. Jan: Groundbreaking of Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea"s Yishun site. Mar: Post Office Savings Bank (POSB) renamed POSBank. 11 Mar: Inauguration of Taoist Federation of Singapore. 1 Apr: Kandang Kerbau Hospital (KK) 'restructured' (privatised). 14 May: K M Byrne passes away. Jun: Tanorm Travel stranding of haj pilgrims. 22 Jun: Vincent Cheng granted conditional release. 21 Sep: Chia Thye Poh granted day release from Sentosa. 28 Sep: Yong Pung How becomes Chief Justice. 28 Nov: Goh Chok Tong takes over as Prime Minister from Lee Kuan Yew. |
Indonesia, Aug 8: Indonesia resumes diplomatic relations with China. | Kuwait, 2 Aug: Iraq invades Kuwait. | Germany, 3 Oct: Reunification of Germany (Deutsche Wiedervereinigung). | |
| 1989 | 17 May: Chia Thye Poh moved to Sentosa. 22 May: Arrest warrant issued for Francis Seow. 16 Sep: Yip Cheong Fun passes away. 6 Oct: Debate in Parliament that ended Religious Knowledge as a GCE 'O' level subject in schools. |
Thailand: Discovery of Langkasuka archaeological site. | China, 3 Jun: Tiananmen Square Massacre. | Iran, 3 Jun: Ayatollah Khomeini passes away. | East Germany, 18 Oct: Erich Honecker steps down. East Germany, 7 Nov: Council of Ministers resign. Berlin, 9 Nov: Berlin Wall falls. |
| 1988 | 6 May: Francis Seow arrested. 16 Jul: Francis Seow released. Aug: First handphone service. 7 Sep: General Elections. |
ASEAN Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ASEAN-ISIS) formed. | India, 12-18 May: Operation Black Thunder II Middle East, 20 Aug: Iran-Iraq War ceasefire. |
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| 1987 | Bus Services Licensing Authority (BSLA) replaced by the Public Transport Council (PTC). Government acquires Capitol Theatre. Van Kleef Aquarium reopens after renovations. Apr: Shaw sells New World Park (Sin Seh Kai / 新世界) to City Developments & Park closes. United Overseas Bank (UOB) takes majority interest in Industrial & Commercial Bank (ICB). 21 May: Marxist Plot arrests. Sep: Canada offerse Chia Thye Poh asylum. Sep: Singapore River cleanup celebration. |
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| 1986 | Van Kleef Aquarium closed for renovations. 15 March: Hotel New World collapse. 9 Oct: Court orders winding up Pan Electric (Pan-El). 20 Nov: Visit of Pope John Paul II. 21 Nov: PM Lee Kuan Yew authorises CPIB investigation into National Development Minister Teh Cheang Wan. Dec: Teh Cheang Wan commits suicide. |
Philippines, 7 Feb: Elections. Philippines, 22 Feb: Defense Minister Juan Enrile & Chief of Staff Lt Gen Fidel Ramos call for Marcos to step down; Cardinal Sin calls on people to support them. Philippines, 25 Feb: Ferdinand Marcos flees the country. |
US, 28 Jan: Space Shuttle Challenger explodes, all crew lost. USSR, 26 Apr: Chernobyl Reactor Disaster. India, 30 Apr: Operation Black Thunder. Scotland, 21 Dec: Pan Am flight 103 explodes over Lockerbie. |
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| 1985 | Tiger Balm Gardens renamed Haw Par Villa. Opening of first food court, Picnic Food Court. St Patrick's Arts Centre renamed the LASALLE College of the Arts & its Telok Kurau campus opened. 30 Aug: Dr Wee Kim Wee elected President by Parliment. 30 Sep: Jurong Drive-in Cinema closes. 18 Nov: Pan Electric (Pan-El) starts defaulting on loans. 30 Nov: Pan-El goes into receivership. 2-4 Dec: Singapore Stock Exchange trading suspended. Dec: Merlion Week. |
Malta: Palestinian hijack of an Egyptair plane to Malta
ended by Egyptian commandos but 59 die. Pakistan: Implementation of Islamic banking - local banks cannot charge/pay interest. |
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| 1984 | Founding of Victoria Junior College (VJC). Victoria School moves from Tyrwhitt Rd to Geylang Bahru. Brother Joseph McNally founds the St Patrick's Arts Centre. United Overseas Bank (UOB) acquires Far Eastern Bank. 22 Dec: General Elections. |
Jakarta, 7 Jan: Brunei admitted into ASEAN. | Saudi Arabia, Feb: Muassasah system to control haj established. India, 3 Jun: Operation Blue Star starts. India, 5 Jun: Indian army assaults the Golden Temple. India, 6 Jun End of Operation Blue Star. India, 31 Oct: Assassination of Indira Gandhi. |
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| 1983 | Formation of Community Chest. 29 Jan: Sentosa Cable Car tragedy. Feb: Launch of audio CD sales. 28 May - 6 Jun: SEA Games. Jun: Neighbourhood Police Post programme starts. 1 Sept: Lighters leave Singapore River. End of warehouse district along the river. 30 Sep: Tan Sri Tan Chin Tuan retires from OCBC chairmanship. |
Philippines, 21 Aug: Benigno Aquino assassinated. | Lebanon, 23 Oct: Bombing of peacekeeper quarters in Beirut. | US: FDA approval of Cyclosporin. 6 Oct: United Nations Convention on a Code of Conduct for Liner Conferences comes into force. |
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| 1982 | Trans Island Bus Service (TIBS) formed. Opus Dei arrives in S'pore. Institute of Education moves to Bukit Timah campus. Zoo starts its Breakfast with An Orang Utan programme. 24 Jun: Old Orchard Rd C K Tang bldg closes. 28 Oct: Demolition of old Orchard Rd C K Tang bldg starts. |
Saudi Arabia, 14 Jun: King Khalid passes away. Fahd becomes King & PM. Lebanon, Sep: Sabra and Shatila massacre. |
Falklands, 2 Apr: Argentinian troops land in the Falklands. Falklands 21 May-14 Jun: British reconquest of Falklands. | ||
| 1981 | First POSB ATM. Nanyang Technological Institute (NTI) instituted. 12 May: First flight touches down at Changi International Airport. 26 Sept: Opening of Benjamin Sheares Bridge. 23 Oct: Devan Nair elected President by Parliment. 29 Dec: Official opening of Changi Airport. |
Philippines, 17 Jan: Martial law lifted. Malaysia, 16 Jul: Mahathir bin Mohamed becomes Prime Minister. |
Iran, 20 Jan: Iran agrees to release the American Embassy hostages. Egypt, 6 Oct: President Anwar al-Sadat assassinated. |
Germany, 21 Jan: Freed American Embassy hostages land. US, 12 Apr: First space shuttle flight. Vatican City, 13 May: Pope John Paul II shot. |
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| 1980 | University of Singapore & Nantah (南洋大学) merge to form National University of Singapore. 7 Jan: Phey Yew Kok fails to appear in court. 31 Mar: Parliament deems that Phey Yew Kok has vacated his seat. 6 Aug: Chiam See Tong announces formation of SDP. 8 Sep: ROS registration date for SDP (0377/1980). 23 Dec: General Elections. |
Iran, 24 Apr: Operation Eagle Claw to rescue the American Embassy hostages fails. India, 23 Jun: Sanjay Gandhi dies in plane crash. Middle East, 22 Sep: Iraq attacks Iran. |
Peru: Abimael Guzman begins Sendero Luminoso rebellion. | ||
| 1979 | Victoria School establishes a Pre-U centre. 7 Jul: Official opening of Singapore Polytechnic's Dover Rd campus by Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. 3 Dec: Phey Yew Kok's offer to resign from union positions announced. 10 Dec: Phey Yew Kok charged in court for CBT. |
Cambodia, 7 Jan: Vietnamese occupy capital Phnom Penh. Vietnam, 17 Feb-16 Mar: Sino-Vietnamese War. |
Iran, 16 Jan: Shah leaves Iran. Iran, 1 Feb: Ayatollah Khomeini lands in Tehran. Iran, 11 Feb: Military stands down. Iran, 1 Apr: Khomeini proclaims Iran to be an Islamic republic. Iran, 4 Nov: United States embassy seized. Saudi Arabia, 20 Nov: Occupation of Grand Mosque in Mecca. |
US, 28 Mar: Three Mile Island Nuclear Reactor meltdown. US, 22 Oct: Shah allowed entry into the United States for gall bladder surgery. |
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| 1978 | Singapore Polytechnic's Dover Rd campus completed. Kandang Kerbau Hospital (KK) School of Midwifery transferred to School of Nursing @ Singapore General Hospital (SGH). 12 Oct: Spyros disaster. 2 Nov: Demolition of Tang Suanh Kiong San Soh Hoo Chu Temple. 1 Dec: Launch of SAP (Special Assistance Plan). 6-10 Dec: Billy Graham's Singapore Crusade. |
Cambodia, 25 Dec: Vietnamese invasion. | Lebanon, 14 Mar: Israeli invasion of Lebanon. | Guyana, 18 Nov: Jonestown Jim Jone's People's Temple mass suicide. | |
| 1977 | Gregory Yong installed as Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore. Police Tatical Team formed. Police Crime Prevention Branch formed. Police Scene of Crime Unit formed. 27 Feb: PM Lee opens Upper Pierce Reservoir & announces cleanup of Singapore and Kallang Rivers. 23 Jul: Opening of Big Splash. |
India, 21 Mar: End of the Indian Emergency. | Europe, 13 Oct: Palestinian PFLP hijacks Lufthansa flight LH181. Somalia, 18 Oct: German commandos (GSG 9) end Palestinian PFLP hijack of Lufthansa flight LH181 in Mogadishu. Somalia, 26 Oct: Last case of smallpox in the world. |
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| 1976 | 4 Jun: Poh Soo Kai detailed under Internal Security Act (ISA). 9 Aug: First NDP @ National Stadium. 23 Dec: General Elections. |
Kalimantan Barat: Military ceases operations in area. Bali, 24 Feb: Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia. Cambodia, 13 May: Pol Pot appointed Prime Minister. |
China, 9 Sep: Chairman Mao Zedong (毛澤東 / Mao Tse-tung) passes away. | Lebanon, Oct: Civil war ceasefire. | Uganda: Palestinian hijack of an Air France plane to Entebbe Airport ended by Israeli commandos. US: Cyclosporin human trials start. UK, Jun: Tan Wah Piow arrives. UK, Sep: Tan Wah Piow applies for political asylum. |
| 1975 | Mosque Building Fund set up. Third Ocean Building completed. Catholic Junior College founded. 22 Feb: Tah Wah Piow sentenced. 12 Apr: Dr Toh Chin Chye lays foundation stone for Singapore Polytechnic's Dover Rd campus. 24 Oct: Tan Wah Piow released from jail. |
Cambodia, 1 April: President Lon Nol resigns & leaves country. Cambodia, 17 April: Khmer Rouge enter Phnom Penh. Vietnam, 29 - 30 April: United States Embassy in Saigon evacuated. Vietnam, 30 April: South Vietnamese President Minh surrenders to North Vietnam. East Timor, 28 Nov: Declaration of independence. East Timor, 7 Dec: Indonesian invasion. |
Saudi Arabia, Mar: King Faisal assassinated. Khalid becomes King & PM. Lebanon, Apr: Start of civil war. India, 12 Jun: Justice Jagmohanlal Sinha finds PM Indira Gandhi guilty and voids her election. India, 26 Jun: Start of the Indian Emergency. |
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| 1974 | Equator Art Society deregistered. Work begins Singapore Polytechnic's Dover Rd campus. Wee Cho Yaw succeeds Wee Kheng Chiang as Chairman of UOB. 31 Jan: Terrorist attack on Pulau Bukom & hijack of Laju. 7/8 Feb: Terrorists free hostages & leave for Kuwait. 30 Oct: Pioneer Industries Employees Union (PIEU) incident. 1 Now: Attorney-General's Chambers orders arrest of Tan Wah Piow. 1 Nov: USSU President Tan Wah Piow arrested. 11 Dec: Police raid on USSU. 12 Dec: Juliet Chin & 4 other Malaysians deported. |
Indonesia: Sekolah Nasional Proyek Khusus schools closed. Kalimantan Barat, 12 Jan: PKI leader S A Sofyan captured & executed. |
India, 16 Nov: Final vol of Salim Ali's Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan published. | US, 27 Jul: President Richard Nixon impeached over Watergate. US, 8 Aug: President Nixon resigns. |
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| 1973 | All bus companies nationalised into Singapore Bus Service (SBS). Police Security Screening Unit formed. United Overseas Bank (UOB) acquires Lee Wah Bank. 7 March: S'pore adopts the Geneva Convention. 1 Apr: Teachers' Training College renamed Institute of Education. 21 Jul: Opening ceremony for National Stadium. 22 Jul: First NTUC co-op supermarket opens @ Toa Payoh Lor 4. 1-8 Sep: 7th SEAP Games. 1 Oct: Formation of Singapore Sports Council. |
Vietnam, 27 Jan:
Paris Peace Accords signed formally ending the Vietnam War. Vietnam, 29 March: Last United States troops withdraw from Vietnam. Jakarta, 25 May: Singapore-Indonesia border pact specifying border coordinates. Malaysia, 2 Aug: Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman passes away of a heart attack. |
UK, 1 July: British Library formed by act of Parliment. Israel, 6-25 Oct: Yom Kippur War. |
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| 1972 | Post Office Savings Bank becomes a statutory board. Singapore Polytechnic's Ayer Rajah Rd campus starts operations. Creation of the Ministry of the Environment. 1 Jan: Tan Sri Tan Chin Tuan steps down as MD of OCBC. 15 Feb: Unveiling of Civilian War Memorial by LKY. 26 Mar: Foundation stone of third Ocean Building laid. 15 May: Adoption of Children (Amendment) Act of 1972 allows birth certificates of adopted children to be re-registered with names of foster parents. 2 Jul: Dr Goh Keng Swee inaugurates SAFRA (Singapore Armed Forces Reservist Association). 2 Sep: General Elections. 15 Sep: Merlion installation ceremony (LKY GOH). 1 Oct: First Singapore Airlines flight (took off from Payar Lebar). 12 Nov: Robinson's Fire. |
Indonesia: Persatuan Islam Tionghua Indonesia (PITI) changes name to Pembina Imam Tauhid Islam. Philippines, 21 Sep: President Ferdinand Marcos imposes martial law. |
Germany, 5 Sep: Black September or Munich Massacre. | ||
| 1971 | Post Office Savings Board Act passed. Omnibus Services Licensing Authority becomes the Bus Services Licensing Authority (BSLA). United Overseas Bank (UOB) takes majority interest in Chung Khiaw Bank. J B Jeyaretnam joins Worker's Party. Asian Mass Communication Research & Information Centre (AMIC) registered as a company limited by guarantee. 2 Jan: Dr Benjamin Henry Sheares elected President by Parliment. 3 Jan: Jurong Birk Park opens. 14 Jul: Jurong Drive-in Cinema opens. 15 Aug: First live telecast of National Day Rally speech. 11 Nov: Withdrawal of British military. May: Nanyang Siang Pau arrests. Dec: University of Malaya School of Education closed. |
Indonesia: Slamet Muljana's
Runtukuja Keradjaan Hindu-Djawa dan Timbulnja Negara-negara Islam di Nusantara banned. Philippines, 21 Aug: Plaza Miranda bombing. KL, 27 Nov: Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality (ZOPFN) Declaration. |
East Pakistan, 25 Mar: Operation Searchlight starts. Bangladesh, 26 Mar: Maj Ziaur Rahman declares Bangladesh's independence. Bangladesh, Jun: Pakistan completes conquest of Bangladesh. India, 3 Dec: Pakistan attacks India starting the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971. Bangladesh, 14 Dec: Buddhijibi Hotta Dibosh (Pakistani pogrom of Bangladeshi intellectuals). Bangladesh, 16 Dec: Pakistani military forces surrender to India. |
Congo, Oct: Country name changed to Republic of Zaire. | |
| 1970 | United Overseas Bank (UOB) becomes a public company. Marine Police move to Kallang Basin. Formation of Asian Mass Communication Research & Information Centre (AMIC) & appointment of Dr Lakshmana Rao as its Secretary-General. 5 Jan: Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment) Act 1969 abolishing of trial by jury comes into force. 23 Feb: Foundation stone-laying ceremony for National Stadium. 21 Jun: Phey Yew Kok attacked, face slashed. 21 Jul: Paper Reorganisation of the Motor Transport Service of Singapore presented in Parliament. Nov: Selegie Complex opening. |
Kalimantan Barat: Military bans use of Chinese over radio & telephone. Philippines, 30 Jan: Battle of Mendiola where students attempted to storm Malacañang Palace. Cambodia, 18 March: General Lon Nol takes over in a coup d'état. |
Switzerland, Mar: Tolypocladium inflatum isolated by Sandoz. US, 11-17 Apr: Apollo 13 accident. USSR, 19 Apr: First space station, Salyut 1 launched. USSR 6 Jun: First space station crew in Soyuz 11 docks with Salyut I. USSR 30 Jun: Soyuz 11 depressurises on reentry, crew lost. USSR 11 Oct: Salyut 1 abandoned. France, 9 Nov: General Charles de Gaulle dies of a heart attack. |
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| 1969 | Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment) passed. | Philippines: Ferdinand Marcos reelected president. Malaysia, 31 Mar: Foundation stone for Highlands Hotel on Genting Highlands laid. Malaysia, 10 May: General Elections. Malaysia, 13-14 May: Kuala Lumpur Race Riots. Malaysia, 31 Aug: Tan Chin Tuan awarded the Panglina Setia Mahkota. Malaysia, Dec: Malayan Banking becomes a protected bank & is reorganised by Bank Negara. |
China, 2 Feb: 李宗仁 (Li Tsung-jen / Li Zong Ren) passes away. | US, 28 Mar: General Eisenhower passes away. Moon, 20 July: Neil Armstrong & Buzz Aldrin become the first persons on the moon. |
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| 1968 | Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS) set up. Development Bank of Singapore (DBS) founded. Girls' Town opens at Chestnut Drive. Singapore Polytechnic's degree programme transferred to the University of Singapore. Singapore joins INTERPOL. Jan: Britain announces pullout of forces in 1971. 23 Jan: Straits Times reports that Wang Gangwu is leaving University of Malaya for Austrailan National University. Apr: General Elections. 9 Jun: First Toto draw. 1 Jul: Police change their uniform colour from khaki to dark blue. 2 Oct: Start of first 'Keep Singapore Clean' Campaign. 17 Oct: Two Indonesian Marines executed for MacDonald House bombing. 24 Nov: Havelock Rd fire. |
Indonesia: Slamet Muljana publishes
Runtukuja Keradjaan Hindu-Djawa dan Timbulnja Negara-negara Islam di Nusantara. Indonesia: Sekolah Nasional Proyek Khusus initiated. Indonesia, 21 Mar: Suharto becomes President. Malaysia, 1 June: CPM resumes insurgency with an official announcement over Radio Peking. |
India: First vol of Salim Ali's Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan published. | First Palestinian hijacking: El Al plane to Rome hijacked and diverted to Algiers (only successful hijack of an El Al plane). | Czechoslovakia, 5 Jan - 21 Aug: Prague Spring. Czechoslovakia, 20 Aug - 3 Sep: Warsaw Pact invasion. |
| 1967 | Land Titles (Strata) Act passed. Graduation of first Singapore Polytechnic degree class. March: National Service introduced. 2 Jun: Lee Kong Chian (李光前) passes away. 17 July: First intake of National Servicemen. |
Indonesia, 12 Mar: President Sukarno removed & Suharto made Acting President. Indonesia: Presidential Decree No. 240 Year 1967 bans Chinese names & requires Chinese to assimilated. Kalimantan Barat, Apr: PKI sets up a komite kota for Singkawang. Indonesia, 7 Jun: The Basic Policy for the Solution of the Chinese Problem (Instruction of the Cabinet Presidium no. 37/U/IN/6/1967). Kalimantan Barat, 16 Jul: Joint PKI - Pasukan Gerilya Rakayat Sarawak (PGRS)/Pasukan Rakayat Kalimantan Utara (Paraku) attack on Singkawang II Airforce Base. Indonesia, Aug: Staf Khusus Urusan Cina (SKUT) established. Kalimantan Barat, 8 Aug: Military (TNI) declares Kalimantan Barat a Daerah Operasi (operations area). Bangkok, 8 Aug: ASEAN founded. Kalimantan Barat, 3 Sep: TNI starts murdering Dayaks & attributes it to communists. Kalimantan Barat, 14 Oct: First Dayak attack on Chinese at Taum. Indonesia, 6 Dec: Presidential Instruction No. 14 Year 1967 banning Chinese culture, religion & tradition comes into force. |
US, 27 Jan: Apollo spacecraft fire on launch pad, crew lost. 1 Sep: Khartoum Resolution. US, 21 Oct: March on the Pentagon (anti-war protest). |
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| 1966 | Happy World (快乐世界) renamed Gay World. 23 Feb: Singapore Chinese Peranakan Association renamed The Peranakan Association. 20 Jul: Merlion registered as a STPB trademark. Aug: First Toa Payoh HDB blocks finished (Blk 52). 29 Oct: Chia Thy Poh arrested. 7 Dec: Piling ceremony for National Stadium. |
Indonesia: TAP MPRS Resolution No. 32 Year 1966 bans all Chinese newspapers
except the government's 印度尼西亚日报 (Yin Du Ni Xi Ya Ri Bao) aka Harian Indonesia.
Indonesia, 1 Feb: President Sukarno promotes Suharto to Lt Gen. Indonesia, 11 Mar: President Sukarno declares state of emergency & transfers power to Suharto beginning the New Order. Indonesia, Jul: All Chinese schools banned. |
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| 1965 | United Chinese Bank renamed United Overseas Bank (UOB). 10 Mar: MacDonald House bombing. 9 May: Malaysia Solidarity Convention. Jul: Ong Eng Guan resigns from Assembly. 6 Aug: Malaysian Cabinet informs S'pore of decision to separate. 9 Aug: Federal Parliment passes separation bill & S'pore declares independence. 15 Oct: S'pore joins the United Nations. 8 Dec: First session of S'pore Parliment after independence opens. 22 Dec: Constitution passed in Parliament. |
Philippines: Ferdinand Marcos elected president. Vietnam: US President Lyndon Johnson sends US troops to Vietnam. Malaysia, 8 May: Malaysian Solidarity Convention formed by S'pore PAP. Indonesia, 4 Aug: President Sukarno falls ill. Indonesia, 6 Aug: PKI disclaims involvement in & support for the 30 September Movement (Gestapu). Malaysia, 18 Aug: Work starts on road up Genting Higlands. Indonesia, 30 Sept: G30S Coup which leads to anti-communist massacres (PKI jihad). Indonesia, 1 Oct: Crocodile Hole. Philippines, 9 Nov: Elections. Philippines, 30 Dec: Ferdinand Marcos sworn in as President. |
China, Jul: 李宗仁 (Li Tsung-jen / Li Zong Ren) returns. | Rome: Pope Paul VI redefines the role of the Congregation of the Holy Office
into the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. USSR 18 Mar: First EVA by Alexi Leonov (Voskhod 2 mission). Congo, 24 Nov: General Mobutu takes power in a coup d'état. |
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| 1964 | Building of Toa Payoh new town starts. Police force changes from beret to peak cap. 31 Mar: Great World (Tua Seh Kai / 大世界) closes. 21-25 July & 2-6 Sept: Race Riots. 4 Nov: Kampung Pulau Minyak fire. 11 Dec: Straits Chinese British Association (SCBA) renamed Singapore Chinese Peranakan Association. |
Formosa, 20 Jun: Dato Loke Wan Tho & his wife, Mavis, die in air crash. | India, 27 May: Jawaharlal Nehru passes away. Saudi Arabia, 2 Nov: Ulama issues fatwa removing Saud & naming Prince Faisal King. |
US, Feb:
Vincent Hayes Gaddis coins term 'Bermuda Triangle' in pulp mag, Argosy All-Story Weekly. Cuba, 6 Feb: Castro cuts supplies to United States Naval Station Guantanamo Bay. USSR, 13-15 Oct: Premier Khrushchev deposed. |
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| 1963 | Malayan Property Investments incorporated (196300120W). 3 Feb: Operation Coldstore (Operation Cold Store). 15 Feb: First television broadcast by Television Singapura at 6pm. 25 May: Opening of 義安學院 (Ngee Ann College). 1 Jul: Singapore Island Country Club founded out of merger of Royal Island Club & Royal Singapore Golf Club. 9 Jul: Malaysia Agreement signed in London unites S'pore, Sabah and Sarawak with Malaya. 12 Jul: Pulau Senang riot. 1 Aug: Founding of EDB (Economic Development Board). 2 Aug: Opening of first Jurong factory (National Iron & Steel Mill). Sept: Elections. 24 Sept: First Konfrontasi bomb explodes in Katong Park. 26 Nov: University Autonomy Day declared by USSU to boycott classes in support of Dr Sreenivasan. |
Bali: Gunong Agung eruption. Indonesia, 10 Jul: Sukarno's Ganyang Malaysia speech. 22 Jul: Sarawak granted self-government. 31 Aug: North Borneo granted self-government. Malaysia, 16 Sep: Malaysia formed through merger of the Federation of Malaya, S'pore, Sarawak and North Borneo (now Sabah). |
USSR, 16-19 Jun:
Valentina Tereshkova becomes first woman in space (Vostok 6 mission). Berlin, 26 Jun: President John F. Kennedy's Ich bin ein Berliner speech. London, 28 Sep: Loke Wan Tho marries Mrs Mavis Lim (nee Mavis Chew Seok Pei). |
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| 1962 | 1 Jan: University of Malaya splits into Universiti Malaya & University of Singapore. 14 Feb: Decrees nisi granted Loke Wan Tho & Mrs Christina Loke (nee Christina Lee). St James Power Station shuts down. |
Malaysia: Onn Ja'afar passes away. | Tibet, 10 Oct: Start of Sino-Indian Border War. China, 20 Nov: China declares Sino-Indian War ceasefire. |
Saudi Arabia, Mar: Prince Faisal becomes DPM. Saudi Arabia, Oct: Prince Faisal appointed PM. |
Vatican City, 11 Oct: Pope John XXIII opens first session of Vatican II. US, 16 Oct: President Kennedy informed of Cuban missle sites starting Cuban Missle Crisis. USSR, 28 Oct: Premier Khrushchev announces dismantling of Cuban missle sites ending the Cuban Missle Crisis. |
| 1961 | NTUC founded. Graduation of first Singapore Polytechnic diploma class. Feb: Consecration ceremony for Church of St Ignatius @ King's Rd. 28 Feb: C K Tang's liquidation sale ends. 15 Mar: C K Tang reopens. 25 May: Bukit Ho Swee Fire (Tiong Bahru/Havelock Rd/Delta). 21 July: PAP survives Legislative Assembly vote of confidence. 1 Sept: Referendum on Merger. |
Vietnam, May: United States President John Kennedy sends Green Berets
to train South Vietnamese soldiers in 'counter-insurgency' against the Viet Cong. Bangkok, Jul: Association of Southeast Asia (ASA) formed. |
China, 12 Aug: Tan Kah Kee (陳嘉庚) passes away. | Saudi Arabia, Jan: PM Faisal & Council of Ministers resign. | President Dwight Eisenhower cuts diplomatic relations with Cuba. Dominican Republic: Ciudad Trujillo renamed Santo Domingo de Guzman. USSR, 12 Apr: Yuri Gagarin is the first person in space. Cuba, 15-21 Apr: Bay of Pigs. Berlin, 13 Aug: Construction of Berlin Wall begins with barbed wire being laid. Switzerland, 11 Sep: Founding of World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF). |
| 1960 | Public allowed admission to Bt Timah Racecourse. Weightlifter Tan Howe Liang wins silver medal at Rome Olympics. 1 Jun: First detainees arrive on Pulau Senang. 16 Jul: Tang Choon Keng kidnapped. 8 Aug: C K Tang dismisses employee. 24 Aug: Singapore Manual and Mercantile Workers' Union demands reinstatement of employee. 22 Sep - 3 Oct: Second C K Tang strike. 27 Sep: C K Tang gives notice to employees of voluntary liquidation. 24 Oct: Industrial Arbitration Court opens. Dec : Land Titles Ordinance 1956 establishing Torrens system comes into force. 1 Dec: C K Tang reopens to dispose of stock. 19 Dec: Legislative Assembly motion to suspend Ong Eng Guan. 29 Dec: Ong Eng Guan resigns from Legislative Assembly. |
Malaya: Malayan Banking incorporated. Malaya, 31 July: State of Emergency ended. Malacca, 13 Dec: Tun Tan Cheng Lock passes away. |
Congo, 30 June:
Republic of the Congo becomes independent from Belgium. Congo, 4 July: Force Publique mutiny begins. Congo, 10 July: Belgian troops take control of Élisabethville. Congo, 11 July: Katanga province secedes. |
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| 1959 | All-Party Report on Chinese Education F&N obtains franchise for 7-Up. Holy Innocents' English School renamed Montfort Sch. 24 Feb: Official opening of Singapore Polytechnic's Prince Edward Rd campus. 30 May: General Elections - PAP wins 43 of 51 seats. 3 June: Constitution of State of Singapore proclaimed by Governor. 5 June: First Government of the State of Singapore sworn in. 3 Dec: Yusok bin Ishak sworn in as first President (Yang di-Pertuan Negara) of S'pore. |
Philippines: Ferdinand Marcos elected senator. Malaysia: End of Emergency with the MCP hiding in Thailand. Indonesia, 28 Aug: Rupiah devalued. |
India: Indira Gandhi dissolves Kerala state gov't. | Moon, 13 Sep: Luna 2 (USSR) becomes the first probe to reach the moon. | |
| 1958 | Great World Amusement Park (Tua Seh Kai / 大世界) reopens. Hollywood Cinema opened by Wee Thiam Siew & Co. Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act allowing detention without trail for suspected secret society members. Orchard Rd C K Tang bldg opens. 30 Mar: Opening ceremony of Nantah (南洋大学). 28 May: Independence agreement with UK signed. 24 Nov: Establishment of Shariah Court & Registry of Muslim Marriages. 22 Dec: Formation of the Singapore Council of Social Service (SCSS). |
Indonesia: Chinese schools founded by Kuomintang organisations banned. Indonesia: Law No. 62 Year 1958 requires all Chinese to have the SBKRI Indonesian name document & K-I Letter of citizenship. |
China, 11 Feb: National People's Congress officially adopts (汉语拼音) Hanyu Pinyin romanisation. | Saudi Arabia, 24 Mar: Ahl-aqd wal hal forces King Saud to appoint Prince Faisal as PM. USSR, 27 Mar: Nikita Khrushchev becomes Premier. Hungry, 16 Jun: Soviet Union executes the Prime Minister of Hungry, Nagy Imre. |
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| 1957 | Lim Boon Keng (林文慶) passes away. Singapore Polytechnic begins classes & work begins on a campus @ Prince Edward Rd. 29 Jan: Public Service Commission gains power to discipline & dismiss civil servants. Mar: Successful self-government talks with UK. 4 Aug: PAP 4th AGM. 21/26 Aug: Arrests of suspected communists by Lim Yew Hock gov't. 20 Oct: Toh Chin Chye & Lee Kuan Yew elected Chairman & Secretary General of PAP. 7 Nov: Worker's Party founded. 21 Dec: Election of the first fully elected City Council. |
Malaya, 31 Aug: Federation of Malaya becomes independent. | Geneva, 11 Jul: Prince Karim al-Hussaini becomes the 49th Ismaili Imam & the 4th Aga Khan. USSR, 4 Oct: Launch of Sputnik I, the first satellite. |
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| 1956 | Land Titles Ordinance establishing Torrens system passed. Hawkins Report. Omnibus Services Licensing Authority established. Straits Chinese Presbyterian Church renamed Prinsep Street Presbyterian Church. 15 Mar: First batch of 584 Nantah (南洋大学) students admitted. 18 Mar: Merdaka Rally Riot. April: Constitutional talks in London fail. 24 May: First Vesak Day public holiday. 6 June: David Marshall resigns. 22 Jun: Registration of Equator Art Society. 31 July: Lionel Astor Sheridan becomes the University of Malaya's first Professor of Law. Oct: Arrest of Open Front student and union leaders lead to October 1956 Riots. |
The International Union for the Protection of Nature (IUPN) changes its name
to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). Egypt, 26 July: Pres. Nasser nationalises the Suez Canal. Egypt, 29 Oct: Israel attacks Egypt. Egypt, 31 Oct: British attack starts with bombing of Cairo Egypt, 5 Nov: British & French paratroopers land & take Port Said. Egypt, 21 Nov: UN troops land @ Port Said. Egypt, 22 Dec: British & French complete withdrawal from Egypt. |
Kenya, 17 Oct: Dedan Kimathi, last of the Mau Mau commanders, captured. Hungary, 23 Oct-10 Nov: Hungarian Revolution. Hungary, 4 Nov: Soviet Union military attacks Budapest. UN, 7 Nov: UN orders end to fighting in Suez. |
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| 1955 | First Legislative Council elections won by Labour Front. Allen-Braddell Report. Police Dog Unit formed. Police Special Investigation Section formed. Airport Police formed. Opening of Van Kleef Aquarium. Marist Brothers of the Schools arrive. Missionaries of Charity arrive. 23 Apr: Start of Hock Lee Bus Strike. 12 May: Hock Lee Bus Riot. 15 Jun: Vesak Day declared a public holiday. |
Malaya: University of Malaya KL campus started. Indonesia: Bandung Conference. |
Warsaw, 14 May: Founding of Warsaw Pact. Austria, 25 Oct: End of Allied occupation. |
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| 1954 | Lee Kong Chian (李光前) retires. 13 Mar: Quantas-BOAC flight from Sydney crashes at Kallang Airport. 13 May: Chinese student demonstration against National Service (513 Incident). May: Fajar editorial, 'Agression in Asia', appears. 28 May: Fajar (University of Malaya University Socialist Club magazine) student (Farjar 8) arrests. Jul: Labour Front formed under David Marshall. 23-25 Aug: Fajar trial. Oct: People's Action Party formed under Lee Kuan Yew & Toh Chin Chye. 27 Oct: Passing of Singapore Polytechnic Ordinance. 21 Nov: First meeting of PAP. |
Indonesia, Mar: Badan Permusjawaratan Kewarganegaraan Indonesia (Baperki) founded. Vietnam, 7 May: Fall of Dien Bien Phu. Vietnam, 21 Jul: Geneva Accords divide Vietnam into two. Thailand. 13 Aug: Haji Sulong is disappeared. |
Guatemala: United Fruit Company has the CIA
overthrow the government of Col Jacobo Arbenz Guzman. US, 9 Mar: CBS broadcasts Edward R Murrow's See It Now episode, A Report on Senator Joseph R McCarthy. US, 22 Apr - 17 Jun: Army-McCarthy Hearings. US, 2 Dec: Senate censures Joseph McCarthy. |
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| 1953 | St Anthony's Convent's new five-storey bldg opened. Opening of New 7th Storey Hotel. Franciscan Missionaries of Mary arrive. Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea's church @ Nee Soon consecrated. 16 Jan: Tan Lark Sye proposes founding a Chinese university to Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan. 21 Feb: University Socialist Club founded. |
Indonesia: Persatuan Islam Tionghua (PIT) moves frm Medan to Jakarta & changes name to Persatuan Islam Tionghua Indonesia (PITI). | Korea, 27 July: Armistice ends Korean War and divides Korea into two. HK, 25 Dec: Shek Kip Mei (石硤尾 [shi xia wei]) fire. |
Saudi Arabia: Death of King Abd al Aziz. Saud becomes King. | USSR, 5 Mar: Josef Stalin passes away. USSR, 24 Dec: Lavrentiy Pavlovich Beria executed. |
| 1952 | Lee Foundation set up by Tan Sri Dr Lee Kong Chian (李光前). Kandang Kerbau Hospital (KK) School of Midwifery founded. Police Reserve Unit formed. Police Riot Squad formed. Island Club becomes the Royal Island Club. Wooden part of St Anthony's Convent demolished. |
US, 2 Jul: Jonas Salk successfully tests his polio vaccine. Kenya, 30 Sept: Sir Evelyn Baring sworn in as new governor. Kenya, 20 Oct: State of Emergency proclaimed by Governor Baring starting the Mau Mau insurrection. |
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| 1951 | Police Security Squad formed. 1 Jan: Public Service Commission formed. 19-21 May: Mass Vesak celebrations organised. 22 Sept: City Day - S'pore receives municipal charter. |
Malaya: Onn Ja'afar resigns from Presidency of UMNO. | World, 12 Jan: Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide comes into force. | ||
| 1950 | Teachers' Training College & University of Malaya School of Education started. Hawkers Inquiry Commission. 16 Mar: Loke Wan Tho marries Christina Lee. 20 Oct: Congregation of the Good Shepherd Sisters open Marymount Convent along Thomson Rd. 11 Dec: Start of Hertogh Riots after Appeals Court throws out Aminah’s appeal. |
Malaya: Chinese resettlement programme begins. | Taiwan, 1 Mar: Chiang Kai-shek / 蔣介石 [jiang jie shi] becomes President. South Korea, 25 Jun: Invasion launched by North Korea. South Korea: 25 Jul: US-South Korean policy decision to authorise military to shoot approaching refugees. South Korea, 26 Jul: No Gun Ri refugee massacre conducted by US forces. South Korea, 1 Sep: Pohang refugee camp massacre conducted by US Navy. South Korea, 26 Oct: China enters the Korean War. |
US, 9 Feb: Joseph McCarthy alleges communists in the State Department. US, 8 Mar - 17 Jul: Tydings Committee investigates McCarthy's allegations. US, 26 July: US President Harry Truman authorises military aid to French in Indochina. Kenya, 4 Oct: Governor declares Mau Mau an illegal society. |
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| 1949 | Merger of King Edward VII Medical College & Raffles College to form the University of Malaya. Police Gurhka Contingent formed. Police Women Special Constabulary formed. Franciscan of Divine Motherhood arrive. 15 Jan: Muslim Missionary Society-organised meeting with Maulana Shah Muhammad Abdul Aleem Siddiqui Al-Qadri during which idea of IRO is born. Feb: Far Eastern Defence Secretariat moves from Cathay Bldg to Phoenix Park aka Little Whitehall. 5 Feb: Overseas Union Bank (OUB) opens. 14 Mar: Decree nisi granted Loke Wan Tho & Kitty Loke (nee Kitty White) 18 Mar: First public meeting of the Inter-Religious Organisation for Singapore and Johor Bahru @ Victoria Memorial Hall. 12 May: Meeting of Buddhist organisations @ Victoria Memorial Hall to pass resolution to make Vesak a public holiday. Aug: Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea founded in an old sch as the second Tamil Roman Catholic church. |
Java, 1 Mar: Serangan Umum - Republican attack on Yogyakarta. Indonesia, 27 Dec: Independence of Republik Indonesia Serikat declared formally. |
China, 21 Jan: Chiang Kai-shek / 蔣介石 [jiang jie shi] resigns as President of the Republic of China. China, 23 Jan: 李宗仁 (Li Tsung-jen / Li Zong Ren) becomes acting President of the Republic of China. China, 1 Oct: People's Republic of China founded. China, 10 Dec: Chiang Kai-shek / 蔣介石 [jiang jie shi] leaves mainland China. |
Israel, 16 Feb: First sitting of the Knesset. | UK, Feb: Malaya wins Thomas Cup (badminton), first Asian nation to do so. US, 4 Apr: NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) created with the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty. Berlin, 15 May: Soviet blockade of Berlin lifted. Germany, 23 May: Federal Republic of Germany founded. Netherlands, 23 Aug - 2 Nov: Dutch-Indonesian Round Table Conference. Berlin, 30 Sep: Final flight of the Berlin Airlift. Germany, 7 Oct: Creation of the German Democratic Republic. |
| 1948 | Police starts 999 telephone hotline service. 20 March: First elections in S'pore. |
Thailand, 16 Jan: Haji Sulong arrested. Malay States, 1 Feb: Federation of Malaya formed. Thailand, Feb-Apr: War of Dusun Nyior aka Dusun Nyior Rebellion. Malaya, 18 June: State of Emergency declared in Malaya. Indonesia, 19 Dec: Operation Kraai begins, Dutch take Yogyakarta. |
China, Apr: 李宗仁 (Li Tsung-jen / Li Zong Ren) elected Vice-President of the Republic of China. Japan, 12 Nov: End of Tokyo Trials. 7 sentended to death. Japan, 23 Dec: Tokyo Trials death sentences carried out. |
US: Word Xerox is trademarked. India, 30 Jan: Mahatma Gandhi assassinated. Israel, 14 May: State of Israel founded. Israel, 15 May: Arab nations attack Israel. Israel, 28 May: Zvah Haganah Le Yisrael or Israel Defense Forces created. |
Brussels, 17 Mar: Signing of Treaty of Brussels. 2 Jun: 7 German physicians executed for crimes against humanity. Berlin, 23 Jun: Soviets begin blockade of Berlin. Berlin, 26 Jun: Berlin Airlift begins. Amsterdam, Aug: Founding of World Council of Churches. France, Oct: International Union for the Protection of Nature (IUPN) founded. |
| 1947 | 1 May: First Malayan Airlines flight (took off from Kallang). 14 Oct: Singapore Buddhist Association petitions to make Buddha's birthday a public holiday. |
Indonesia, 20 Jul: Dutch invasion of Indonesia. Thailand, 8 Nov: Khana Patiwat coup. |
China: National Assembly of the Republic of China
lects Chiang Kai-shek / 蔣介石 [jiang jie shi] as President. Formosa, 2 Feb: 二二八事件 (228 Incident) aka 二二八大屠殺 (228 Massacre). |
India, 15 Aug: Partition | US, 16 Jan: Rev W G Shellabear passes away. UN, 4 Aug: UN resolution for a ceasefire in Indonesia. |
| 1946 | Straits Settlements Repeal Act. Brother Joseph McNally arrives in Singapore. Police Volunteer Special Constabulary formed. 15 Jan: Stamps Proclamation. May: First Police Radio Cars deployed. 13 Oct: Police employs first radio technician. |
Java, 24 Mar: Bandung Lautan Api (Bandung Sea of Fire). Malay States, 1 Apr: Malay Union formed. Malaya, 11 May: United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) founded. Siam, 10 Jun: King Ananda Mahidol dies. Sarawak, 1 Jul: Rajah cedes Sarawak to British crown. Philippines, 4 Jul: Independence from US with the founding of the Republic of the Philippines. Java, 15 Nov: Linggajati Agreement. |
Japan, 19 Jan: SCAP institutes tribunal to conduct Tokyo Trials. Japan, 3 May: Tokyo Trials begin. |
London, 22 May: Rajah of Sarawak signs cession of Sarawak to the UK. London, 8 Jun: Victory Parade. US, 17 Jun: First mobile phones installedin two cars. UK, 13 Aug: H G Wells (Herbert George Wells) passes away. Nuremberg, 16 Oct: 12 Nazi leaders executed for crimes against humanity. Nuremberg, 9 Dec: Trial of German physicians starts. |
| [CC] 2004. Timothy Pwee. |