Kuan Yew Lee was born on 16 September 1923 in Singapore. A Singaporean statesman, Lee was the first prime minister of Singapore and led the country from self-government in 1959 until 1990. He guided the city through its separation from Malaysia in 1965 and oversaw a transformation from a poor trading port into a wealthy financial and manufacturing hub, through strict governance, public housing, anti-corruption measures and the promotion of English as a common language. His government's restrictions on opposition parties, speech and the press drew sustained criticism from human rights groups. He remained in the cabinet as senior and then minister mentor, and his son Lee Hsien Loong later became prime minister.
Before and after
- 29 August 1923Birth of Richard Attenborough
- September 1923Kantō Massacre
- 1 September 19231923 Great Kantō Earthquake
- 7 September 1923Founding of Interpol
- 16 September 1923Birth of Kuan Yew Lee
- 16 September 1923Construction of RheinEnergie Stadion
- October 1923Hubble shows that Andromeda is a separate galaxy
- 16 October 1923Founding of The Walt Disney Company
- November 1923German hyperinflation reaches its peak
More in Art, literature & culture
- 1 May 1931Construction of Empire State Building
- 1935Construction of Da Nang International Airport
- 28 May 1937Construction of Golden Gate Bridge
- c. 1940sRise of Postmodernism
- 20 May 1940Construction of Auschwitz
- 6 April 1943Publication of The Little Prince
The era
This moment belongs to the Modern era (1914 CE to 1945 CE), world wars and a changing world. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.