Year 1905

Victoria Memorial Hall Opened

Wednesday, 18th October 1905

Victoria Memorial Hall was officially opened by the Governor of the Straits Settlements, John Anderson. It was build in memory of the late Queen Victoria. Public funds for its construction amounting to $368,000 were collected, exceeding the construction costs, thus leaving a surplus of $22,000 for refurbishments.


The founding of the medical school in Singapore

Monday, 3rd July 1905

The Straits and Federated Malay States Government Medical School (predecessor of the King Edward VII College of Medicine, and the Faculties of Medicine, University of Singapore and University of Malaya) was founded on 3 July 1905. It was on 8 September 1904, Mr Tan Jiak Kim and other local community leaders petitioned the Governor to start a Medical School, raised enough funds to establish the School.


Singapore Standard Time Set At +7 Hour GMT

Saturday, 1st July 1905

On 1st June 1905, the mean time of the 105th Meridian (Longitude 105 deg East) was adopted by the Straits Settlements (SS) and the Federated Malay States (FMS) as the new Standard Time. This decision was made way back in February, 1904. The mean time of the 105th meridian is 7 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (i.e. the Local Mean Time over Greenwich Royal Observatory near London, England). This Standard Time went into effect when the Time Ball on Fort Canning was completed and became operational on the same day.