Year 1961
Changi Prison escape drama
Friday, 8th December 1961
Nine convicts with lead pipes fought a desperate 50-minute battle with prison warders before they were subdued in a dramatic escape bid at Changi Prison today. Five convicts were badly injured in the fight. They were admitted to the General Hospital in serious condition. Two warders were on the dangerously ill list.
School Boycott
Monday, 27th November 1961
A boycott by several hundred students today delayed the Secondary Four examination by an hour. Student pickets waited at gates and approach roads to all 18 examination centres. The boycott was in protest against changes in the Chinese secondary education system. Attendance was lowest in Seh Chuan High School (Bukit Timah Road) where only 11 out of 123 entrants turned up. During the boycott, 30 per cent of the students missed the examination. However, a large number of pupils across the island sat for it.
First Children's Day
Monday, 23rd October 1961
The day chosen for the celebration was Monday 23 October. The date was in keeping with the United Nation's Children's Day which fell on 22 October but since it was a Sunday, the celebration was held the following day, on Monday 23. The Ministry of Education estimated 37,000 school children in Singapore would be celebrating Children's Day for the first time that year. Children's Day was marked as a school holiday.
First Singapore Grand Prix
Sunday, 17th September 1961
The first Singapore Grand Prix was held in the 3.023 miles long Upper Thomson Road Street Circuit. A Singapore Resident, Ian Barnwell who is also a Temerloh Planter, won the race in his Aston Martin DB3S. He took home a Gold Trophy and $1,000 cash. Second was Saw Kim Thiat in his Lotus Eleven Climax and Dick Clinkard came in third in his Austin Healey.
Lim Hock Siew Left Hospital For Politics
Wednesday, 6th September 1961
Dr Lim Hock Siew, of the Tan Tock Seng Hospital, resigned from Government service to join Barisan Socialis. He was also well-known in left-wing political circles as leading members of the University Socialist Club which he helped found in 1953. Dr. Lim was a former editor of "The Fajar" and at one chairman of the University of Malaya Students' Union.
PAP Assemblymen defected
Thursday, 20th July 1961
21 PAP Assemblymen lead by Doctor Lee Siew Choh defected to Pro-Communist Party. They later form a new Barisan Sosialis Party.
Singapore and Malaysia Merger Proposal
Saturday, 27th May 1961
Tunku Abdul Rahman, the Malayan Prime Minister, proposed closer political and economic co-operation between the Federation of Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak, North Borneo and Brunei in the form of a merger. The main terms of the merger, agreed on by him and Lee Kuan Yew, were to have central government responsibility for defence, foreign affairs and internal security, but local autonomy in matters pertaining to education and labour.
Bukit Ho Swee Fire
Thursday, 25th May 1961
The Bukit Ho Swee Fire kills four people and destroys 2,200 attap houses. The fire made at least 16,000 homeless. Most of the attap houses in the squatter settlement were destroyed as the fire spread quickly by the strong winds. The root cause of this disaster remains unknown.
Ong Eng Guan won Hong Lim by-election
Saturday, 29th April 1961
Ong Eng Guan registered a new party, the United People's Party (UPP) , he won the Hong Lim by-election defeating PAP candidate Jek Yuan Thong, which proved a blow to the PAP for the leaders. Ong Eng Guan was expelled from the PAP less than a year earlier.
Major Events 2 People 6 Places 5 Politics 4
2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 1969 1968 1967 1966 1965 1964 1963 1962 1961 1960 1959 1958 1957 1956 1955 1954 1953 1952 1951 1950 1949 1948 1947 1946 1945 1942 1940 1939 1937 1936 1935 1933 1932 1931 1930 1929 1928 1924 1923 1922 1920 1919 1913 1911 1910 1909 1906 1905 1901 All