Singapore history spans 700 years — from Temasek fishing village, Sultanate of Malacca, British colony, Japanese occupation, to modern city-state.
Temasek and Early History (1299-1819)
Temasek (Sea Town) — fishing village 14th century. Renamed Singapura (Lion City) by Sang Nila Utama. Part of Malacca Sultanate, then Johor. Decline 17th-18th century.
British Colony (1819-1942)
Sir Stamford Raffles founded modern Singapore January 28, 1819 — free port for British East India Company. Strait Settlements (Singapore, Malacca, Penang) 1826. Suez Canal 1869 — Singapore became major British naval base.
Japanese Occupation (1942-1945)
February 15, 1942 — British surrendered to Japan after week-long battle. Worst disaster in British military history (Churchill). 3.5 years of brutal occupation. Sook Ching massacre — 25,000-50,000 Chinese killed.
Self-government and Merger (1959-1965)
Self-government 1959 — Lee Kuan Yew became first PM. Merger with Federation of Malaya 1963 — Federation of Malaysia. Tensions led to expulsion.
Independence (1965)
August 9, 1965 — Singapore separated from Malaysia. Tearful TV announcement by Lee Kuan Yew. Tiny country with no resources.
Lee Kuan Yew Era (1965-1990)
Lee Kuan Yew PM 31 years. Transformation from poor port to global financial centre. From Third World to First. Strict laws, multi-ethnic harmony, English as working language.
Modern Singapore (1990-today)
Goh Chok Tong PM 1990-2004. Lee Hsien Loong (son of LKY) 2004-2024. Lawrence Wong since 2024. 5.9 million population. 4th highest GDP/capita in world. Marina Bay Sands, Changi Airport, Gardens by the Bay.