The two-child policy was a population control measure introduced by the Singapore government during the 1970s to encourage couples to have no more than two children. It was part of the second Five-Year National Family Planning Programme (1972–75) that was unveiled ...
Bilingualism has been the cornerstone of Singapore’s language policy since the People’s Action Party (PAP) was elected to power in 1959. The policy entails an emphasis on using English and the mother tongue languages, particularly that of the three main ethnic ...
The Straits Settlements Association was founded in London by a group of ex-Straits Settlements residents on 31 January 1868. The association, which mainly comprised members from the mercantile community, aimed to safeguard the commercial and political interests ...
Clarke Quay is located along the Singapore River. It forms part of the Singapore River precinct together with Boat Quay and Robertson Quay. From the early 1800s, Clarke Quay served as a dock for the loading and unloading of cargoes for the godowns (warehouses) ...
The Dalhousie Obelisk commemorates the visit of then governor-general of India (1848–1856), the Marquis of Dalhousie, James Andrew Broun-Ramsay, to Singapore between 17 and 19 February 1850. Singapore, as part of the Straits Settlements, was administered under ...
Banque de l’Indochine first made its presence in Southeast Asia in 1875 with the opening of its branch in Saigon, Vietnam. Banque Indosuez was the official name for the bank in 1981. Initially set up as a note-issuing bank in French Indochina, it quickly expanded ...
On 3 February 2004, Singapore Airlines (SIA) launched its first A345 LeaderShip nonstop flight service between Singapore and Los Angeles, United States. The 14,700-kilometre journey was made possible using the new, long-range Airbus aircraft, the A340-500. The ...
Located on Keppel Road near the entrance to the island of Sentosa, St James Power Station was a coal-fired power station built by the British between 1924 and 1927. The power station was decommissioned in 1976 as it was unable to meet Singapore’s rising demand ...
The Grand Hotel de l’Europe was one of the finest hotels in Singapore at the turn of the 20th century. It was situated at the corner of the Esplanade (Padang) and High Street, next to the Municipal Building (City Hall) and overlooked the Esplanade. The hotel’s ...
The Education Ordinance, which applied to all schools in Singapore, was enacted on 13 December 1957. The ordinance (replaced by the Education Act in 1965) made provisions for the registration of schools, managers and teachers, as well as for the roles and responsibilities ...
In Singapore, vernacular education refers to education conducted in the native languages of the main resident communities, namely Malay, Chinese and Tamil. From the early 19th to the mid-20th centuries, formal vernacular education was started by philanthropists, ...
Radio broadcasting began in Singapore in 1924 through the initiatives of a small circle of amateur radio enthusiasts and hobbyists. It was developed further by commercial companies until it was nationalised by the colonial government in response to the threat of ...
Paterson, Simons & Co. was an early trading company in Singapore whose origin can be traced back to 1821. Although no longer based in Singapore, it played an important part in the early commercial development of the colonial state.
River Valley in central Singapore is a mixed-use area comprising residential, commercial and leisure developments. It was so named because the area lay in a valley between Fort Canning Hill and Pearl’s Hill. In the 1840s, there were two River Valley roads that ...
With a history dating back to 1845, The Straits Times is the most widely read newspaper in Singapore with a reported combined print and digital readership of 1.34 million in 2014. It is currently the flagship English-language daily newspaper of Singapore Press ...
Ngee Ann City is a shopping and office complex located along Singapore’s Orchard Road shopping belt that was officially opened on 21 September 1993. A collaboration between Ngee Ann Development and Orchard Square Development Corporation (OSDC), the complex was ...
As its name suggests, Little India is the heart of Singapore’s Indian community. Bordered by Selegie Road and Lavender Street, Little India’s main stretch of commercial activity can be found along Serangoon Road, which was labelled “Road leading across the Island” ...
Tanjong Pagar is a district located in the downtown southern tip of central Singapore. The once sleepy fishing village has been transformed into a vibrant business and commercial centre, just 40 years after the founding of modern Singapore. Today, Tanjong Pagar ...
Golden Mile Complex is a residential and commercial development, situated between Nicoll Highway and Beach Road. Formerly known as Woh Hup Complex, it was developed as part of the Urban Renewal Department’s goal to redevelop Singapore’s central area in the 1960s. ...
Rediffusion was Singapore's first cable-transmitted, commercial radio station. It started broadcasting in Singapore in 1949. In the 1960s and ’70s, the station's Chinese dialect programmes enjoyed a strong following, and many coffee shops and households were fitted ...