1972 Robinsons Department Store Fire
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1972 Robinsons Department Store Fire
On 21 November 1972, a fire broke out at a Robinson & Co. department store in Raffles Place, Singapore. The fire killed nine people and is regarded as one of the worst fires in Singapore's history. A subsequent investigation revealed the cause of the fire was a short circuit. Safety recommendations were produced in the investigation report which are still adhered today. Background Spicer & Robinson was established at present-day Raffles Place in 1858 by Philip Robinson and business partner James Gaborian Spicer. The business mainly sold grocery including crackers, ham, cheese, and tea from a warehouse. It was renamed to Robinson and Co. in 1859 when Spicer left the business. The warehouse was relocated to across St Andrew's Cathedral, and the business expanded to millinery and dressmaking. Among its most notable customers was King Mongkut of Siam. In 1886, the business returned to Raffles Places. Fire The fire occurred at 09:55 while employees were working inside the department ...
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Raffles Place
Raffles Place is the centre of the Financial District of Singapore and is located south of the River, mouth of the Singapore River. It was first planned and developed in the 1820s as Commercial Square to serve as the hub of the commercial zone of Singapore in Jackson Plan, Raffles Town Plan. It was renamed Raffles Place in 1858 and is now the site of a number of major banks. It is located in the Downtown Core within the Central Area, Singapore, Central Area, and features some of the tallest buildings and landmarks of the country. History Beginning The founder of modern Singapore, Sir Stamford Raffles, intended Singapore to become a "great commercial Marketplace, emporium". As part of his plan, he gave instructions in 1822 that a commercial area be created on the southwest side of the Singapore River. The Garrison Engineer Lieutenant R.N. Philip Jackson (surveyor), Philip Jackson, was tasked with drawing up a Jackson Plan, Town Plan based on Raffles' instructions. This commerci ...
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Specialists' Shopping Centre
The Specialists' Shopping Centre was the oldest shopping centre on Orchard Road, a shopping area of Singapore. The largest tenant of the shopping centre were Hotel Phoenix Singapore and John Little. The Visitor's Guide of Singapore described the shopping centre as "revered". However, the Specialists' Shopping Centre along with the Hotel Phoenix Singapore had been demolished to make way for newer developments in 2008. History Opened in 1972 on the former site of the Pavilion Theatre. The mall was originally named Specialists due to the concentration of medical specialists in its early days. Stores The John Little store was Singapore's oldest department store. The store opened in 1845 in Commercial Square. The main store was in the Specialists' Shopping Centre although there were four branch stores. The store is no longer in Raffles Place. Guidebooks refer to the prices as "very up-to-date" or reasonable. The John Little store displayed bargain goods in the outdoor sections of ...
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1972 In Singapore
The following lists events that happened during 1972 in Singapore. Incumbents *President: Benjamin Henry Sheares *Prime Minister: Lee Kuan Yew Events January *1 January – The Post Office Savings Bank is turned into a statutory board. This allows the bank more freedom to run its operations. February *7 February – The National Wages Council is set up to ensure sustainable wages. This comes after wages have risen quickly the previous year. April *1 April – The Telephone Department is converted into a statutory board called the Telecommunication Authority of Singapore. *2 April – The Singapore Grand Prix is won by Max Stewart. May * 12 May – The National Productivity Board is formed to encourage productivity. June *15 June – The SAF Act comes into effect, allowing for effective management of the Singapore Armed Forces. The Act merges the air, sea and land vocations and establishes the Armed Forces Council. July *2 July – Singapore Armed Forces Reservist Assoc ...
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November 1972 Events
November is the eleventh and penultimate month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars, the fourth and last of four months to have a length of 30 days and the fifth and last of five months to have a length of fewer than 31 days. November was the ninth month of the calendar of Romulus . November retained its name (from the Latin ''novem'' meaning "nine") when January and February were added to the Roman calendar. November is a month of late spring in the Southern Hemisphere and late autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. Therefore, November in the Southern Hemisphere is the seasonal equivalent of May in the Northern Hemisphere and vice versa. In Ancient Rome, Ludi Plebeii was held from November 4–17, Epulum Jovis was held on November 13 and Brumalia celebrations began on November 24. These dates do not correspond to the modern Gregorian calendar. November was referred to as Blōtmōnaþ by the Anglo-Saxons. Brumaire and Frimaire were the months on which Novemb ...
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Fires In Singapore
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition point, flames are produced. The ''flame'' is the visible portion of the fire. Flames consist primarily of carbon dioxide, water vapor, oxygen and nitrogen. If hot enough, the gases may become ionized to produce plasma. Depending on the substances alight, and any impurities outside, the color of the flame and the fire's intensity will be different. Fire in its most common form can result in conflagration, which has the potential to cause physical damage through burning. Fire is an important process that affects ecological systems around the globe. The positive effects of fire include stimulating growth and maintaining various ecological systems. Its negative effects include hazard to life and property, atmospheric pollution, and water contamination. If fi ...
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Housing And Development Board
The Housing & Development Board (HDB) (; ms, Lembaga Perumahan dan Pembangunan; ta, வீடமைப்பு வளர்ச்சிக் கழகம்) or often referred to as the Housing Board, is a statutory board under the Ministry of National Development responsible for Singapore's public housing. Founded in 1960 as a result of efforts in the late 1950s to set up an authority to take over the Singapore Improvement Trust's (SIT) public housing responsibilities, the HDB focused on the construction of emergency housing and the resettlement of kampong residents into public housing in the first few years of its existence. This focus shifted from the late 1960s, with the HDB building flats with improved fittings and offering them for sale. From the 1970s, it initiated efforts to improve community cohesion in its estates and solicit resident feedback. In the 1990s and 2000s, the HDB introduced upgrading and redevelopment schemes for mature estates, as well as new ...
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University Of Singapore
The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a national public research university in Singapore. Founded in 1905 as the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Government Medical School, NUS is the oldest autonomous university in the country. It offers degree programmes in a wide range of disciplines at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, including in the sciences, medicine and dentistry, design and environment, law, arts and social sciences, engineering, business, computing, and music. NUS is one of the most highly-ranked academic institutions in the world. It has consistently featured in the top 30 of the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings and the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, and in the top 100 of the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). As of 2022-2023, NUS is 11th worldwide according to QS and 19th worldwide according to THE. NUS's main campus is located in the southwestern part of Singapore, adja ...
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Frederick Arthur Chua
Frederick may refer to: People * Frederick (given name), the name Nobility Anhalt-Harzgerode *Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (1613–1670) Austria * Frederick I, Duke of Austria (Babenberg), Duke of Austria from 1195 to 1198 * Frederick II, Duke of Austria (1219–1246), last Duke of Austria from the Babenberg dynasty * Frederick the Fair (Frederick I of Austria (Habsburg), 1286–1330), Duke of Austria and King of the Romans Baden * Frederick I, Grand Duke of Baden (1826–1907), Grand Duke of Baden * Frederick II, Grand Duke of Baden (1857–1928), Grand Duke of Baden Bohemia * Frederick, Duke of Bohemia (died 1189), Duke of Olomouc and Bohemia Britain * Frederick, Prince of Wales (1707–1751), eldest son of King George II of Great Britain Brandenburg/Prussia * Frederick I, Elector of Brandenburg (1371–1440), also known as Frederick VI, Burgrave of Nuremberg * Frederick II, Elector of Brandenburg (1413–1470), Margrave of Brandenburg * Frederick William, Elector ...
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Judicial Officers Of The Republic Of Singapore
The judicial officers of the Republic of Singapore work in the Supreme Court and the State Courts (known up to 6 March 2014 as the Subordinate Courts) to hear and determine disputes between litigants in civil cases and, in criminal matters, to determine the liability of accused persons and their sentences if they are convicted. In the Supreme Court, the current senior judicial officers are the Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, who is also the President of the Court of Appeal; the Judge of Appeal Justice Andrew Phang Boon Leong who is also the Vice-President; the Judge of Appeal Justices Judith Prakash, Tay Yong Kwang and Steven Chong; and the judges and judicial commissioners of the High Court. The other judicial officers are the Registrar of the Supreme Court, the Deputy Registrar, the Senior Assistant Registrars and the Assistant Registrars. The State Courts are headed by the Presiding Judge of the State Courts, and the senior judicial officers are the Deputy Presiding J ...
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Benjamin Sheares
Benjamin Henry Sheares (12 August 1907 – 12 May 1981) was a Singaporean politician, physician and academic who served as the second president of Singapore from 1971 until his death in 1981. Sheares retired in 1960 and was in private practice before being elected as the president of Singapore by the Parliament after the death of Yusof Ishak, the former president of the Republic, on 23 November 1970. He was sworn on 2 January 1971. Sheares initially wanted to retire after finishing his second term as he felt that he did not have the energy for another term, but Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew persuaded him and Sheares took on his third term. He served as the president of Singapore for three terms from 2 January 1971 until his death on 12 May 1981. Both the Benjamin Sheares Bridge and Sheares Hall at the National University of Singapore are named after him. Early life and education Sheares was born on 12 August 1907 in Singapore to an Eurasian family with an English lineage. H ...
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The Centrepoint
The Centrepoint is a shopping mall in Singapore which opened in 1983 as Centrepoint Shopping Centre (or just Centrepoint) until its renaming in 2006 as The Centrepoint. History The Centrepoint is managed by Frasers Property, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fraser & Neave. It was built in 1983. Throughout the decades, the eight-storey complex was home to many different tenants, including Teochew City Seafood Restaurant, Cold Storage, Marks and Spencer, TianPo Jewellery, and Metro. The mall, which has six storeys and two basement levels, opened with Robinsons as the anchor tenant. It had been replaced by Metro in 2015, out of which it will be closing down on 15 September 2019. Centrepoint is undergoing third renovation works and is expected to complete by 2020 with more tenants such as Decathlon, JustCo and Harvey Norman. The shopping mall underwent a makeover in 1991 and the first cost $4 million. The Centrepoint's management committee at the time carried out a survey to ...
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Orchard Road
Orchard Road, often known colloquially as simply Orchard, is a major –long road in the Central Area of Singapore. Known as a famous tourist attraction, it is an upscale shopping area of Singapore, with numerous internationally renowned department stores, restaurants and coffeehouses located in its vicinity. The Orchard Planning Area is a planning area as specified by the Urban Redevelopment Authority. It is part of the Central Area located within the Central Region. Orchard is bordered by Newton in the east and north, Tanglin in the west, River Valley in the south and Museum to the southeast. Toponymy Orchard Road got its name from the nutmeg, pepper and fruit orchards or the plantations that the road once led to.Victor R Savage, Brenda S A Yeoh (2003), ''Toponymics – A Study of Singapore Street Names'', Eastern Universities Press, Such plantations were common in the area in the 19th century. Previously, it was known in Hokkien as "Tang Leng Pa Sat Koi" ( zh, s=东陵 ...
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