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Year 1951

National Library Stone Layed

Saturday, 15th August 1953

Mr. Lee Kong Chian, a renowned Chinese community leader and philanthropist, laid the foundation stone the National Library at Fort Canning project. Lee Kong Chian, offered S$350,000 towards the founding of the first free public library in Singapore on condition that vernacular languages were promoted and encouraged in the public arena. The British government accepted the offer and began demolishing the old St Andrew's Chapel and the British Council Hall sited at the foot of Fort Canning Hill along Stamford Road to make way for the new library.

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.

Kallang River Dredge For Seaplane Usage

Wednesday, 18th December 1946

The Singapore Government started dredging Kallang River. This is to prepare Kallang Aerodrome for seaplane approach. During the next 3 months, seaplane landing will be diverted to Seletar Air Base.

Rex Cinema Opened

Sunday, 10th November 1946

Shaw Brothers' latest chain of theatres, the air-conditioned Rex Cinema showed it first picture. Located at the junction of Bukit Timah Road and Selegie Road.

RAF Replace Spitfire with Meteor Jets

Tuesday, 1st October 1946

RAF Tengah is upgraded to become the next new fighter base and it will be Southeast Asia first.

RAF Install Radar At Mount Faber

Sunday, 1st September 1946

The radar device install at Mount Faber can pick up rain clouds over 100 miles away and watches the direction and speed at which the rain clouds travels. The installation was done by RAF (Royal Air Force) Telecommunication Research Establishment.

Pan-Am Resumed Flights To Manila

Monday, 29th April 1946

Pan-American Airways (Pan-Am) resumes flight between Singapore and Manila. Flights takes-off from Changi and for seaplanes from Kallang Aerodrome.

Singapore became separate Crown Colony

Monday, 1st April 1946

Singapore became a separate Crown Colony with a civil administration headed by a Governor. Sir Franklin Charles Gimson was appointed Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Singapore from 1 April 1946 to 20 March 1952. He abolished the military government which was set up by Lord Mountbatten and reinstalled the colonial civil government.

The Straits Settlements dissolved

Sunday, 31st March 1946

Singapore was temporarily administered by the British Military Administration from 12 September 1945 to 31 March 1946. The British Military Administration proclaimed that all Japanese Proclamations and Decrees ceased to have effect, and that "all laws and customs existing immediately prior to the Japanese occupation will be respected". The British Military Administration came to an end and the Straits Settlements were disbanded.

Lord Mountbatten in Singapore

Wednesday, 12th September 1945

The city commemerates the end of the war and Japanese rule in Singapore with Admiral Mountbatten, Supreme Allied Commander of the Southeast Asia Theatre, arrived in Singapore. Admiral Mountbatten later read the Japanese surrender address on the steps of the City Hall in front of the Padang. Lord Louis Mountbatten acted as the British High Command in Singapore from 12 September 1945 to 1 April 1946. Sir Shenton Thomas was the Governor of the Straits Settlements during the same period.

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