101391    At this time, Singapore was already an up and coming trading post along the Malacca Straits, and Britain realised the need for a port of call in the region.

101392    British traders needed a strategic venue to refresh and protect the merchant fleet of the growing empire, as well as forestall any advance made by the Dutch in the region.

101393    The then Lieutenant-Governor of Bencoolen (now Bengkulu) in Sumatra, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles landed in Singapore on 29 January 1819, after a survey of the neighbouring islands.

101394    Recognising the immense potential of the swamp covered island, he helped negotiate a treaty with the local rulers, establishing Singapore as a trading station.

101395    Soon, the island’s policy of free trade attracted merchants from all over Asia and from as far away as the US and the Middle East.

101396    In 1832, Singapore became the centre of government for the Straits Settlements of Penang, Malacca and Singapore.

101397    With the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 and the advent of the telegraph and steamship, Singapore's importance as a centre of the expanding trade between the East and West increased tremendously.

101398    By 1860, the thriving country had a population that had grown from a mere 150 in 1819 to 80,792, comprising mainly Chinese, Indians and Malays.

101399    But the peace and prosperity of the country suffered a major blow during World War II, when it was attacked by the Japanese aircrafts on 8 December 1941.

101400    Once regarded as an impregnable fortress, Singapore fell under the Japanese invasion on 15 February 1942.

101401    It remained occupied by the Japanese for the next three and half years, a time marked by great oppression and an immense loss of lives.

101402    When the Japanese surrendered in 1945, the island was handed over to the British Military Administration, which remained in power until the dissolve of the Straits Settlement comprising Penang, Melaka and Singapore.

101403    In March 1946, Singapore became a Crown Colony.

101404    In 1959, the growth of nationalism led to self-government, and the country’s first general election.

101405    The People’s Action Party (PAP) won a majority of 43 seats and Lee Kuan Yew became the first prime minister of Singapore.