Year 1951

Singapore Town Became A City

Saturday, 22nd September 1951

Singapore City Day. On this day, the Town of Singapore was officially made a City of the British Commonwealth, by an official proclamation of a Royal Charter by King George VI. Singapore City Day festivities began with an official parade, in the presence of 50,000 of her citizens at the Padang. The event at the flag-bedecked Padang.  Many activities were lined up to take place around the island "on the hour" throughout the day. Big attractions were lined up for the evening. The city was in traffic chaos and jammed everywhere. Thousands of men, women and children in a festive mood, jammed and crammed the streets or seafronts to catch the best angle and action of the three big shows, the Sea Dragon, the fireworks display, and the City Day Procession. At least 1,500 policemen were assigned to control the overwhelming numbers.


RAF Hornet Crashed Into East Coast Road

Friday, 10th August 1951

A twin-engine RAF de Havilland DH.103 Hornet, world's fastest piston-driven aircraft, crashed on the East Coast Road after performing aerobatics over the sea south of Katong. The British pilot was killed instantly and 8 people living in a row of houses opposite the crash were injured when the aircraft's fuel tank and ammunition exploded. A three-year old girl died five hours later and a two-year old boy a day later at Singapore General Hospital (SGH) from severe burns.


Mr & Mrs Lee make legal history

Tuesday, 7th August 1951

The first time in the history of Singapore's Supreme Court that a husband and wife were together admitted to the Colony Bar. Former graduates of Raffles College, Mr. and Mrs. Lee Kuan Yew passed their professional Bar examinations at Cambridge (England) in May 1950. Mr. Lee, aka Harry Lee, was an outstanding student of Raffles Institution. He was first in Serior Cambridge Examination (A-Level) in 1939 and top of the class list of Law Trips, Part II. And his wife graduated from Raffles College in 1947 and was awarded the Queen's Scholarship.