On This Day

Stamford Raffles founds Singapore as a British trading post

Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles (5 July 1781 – 5 July 1826) was a British colonial official who served as the governor of the Dutch East Indies between 1811 and 1816 and lieutenant-governor of…

Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles (5 July 1781 – 5 July 1826) was a British colonial official who served as the governor of the Dutch East Indies between 1811 and 1816 and lieutenant-governor of Bencoolen between 1818 and 1824. Raffles was involved in the capture of the Indonesian island of Java from the Dutch during the Napoleonic Wars. It was returned under the Anglo–Dutch Treaty of 1824. He also wrote The History of Java in 1817, describing the history of the island from ancient times. The Rafflesia flowers were named after him.

Raffles also played a role in further establishing the British Empire's reach in East and Southeast Asia.

Historical Significance

Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles (5 July 1781 – 5 July 1826) was a British colonial official who served as the governor of the Dutch East Indies between 1811 and 1816 and lieutenant-governor of Bencoolen between 1818 and 1824.

Key People

Stamford Raffles

colonial official

British colonial official

Events Before

  1. Battle of Maipú: Chile's independence movement, led by Bernardo O'Higgins and José de San Martín, wins a decisive victor

    Battle of Maipú: Chile's independence movement, led by Bernardo O'Higgins and José de San Martín, wins a decisive victory over Spain, leaving 2,000 Spaniards and 1,000 Chilean patriots dead

  2. English poet John Keats writes "In the Cottage Where Burns is Born," "Lines Written in the Highlands," and "Gadfly"

    English poet John Keats writes "In the Cottage Where Burns is Born," "Lines Written in the Highlands," and "Gadfly"

  3. Inventor Samuel Morse (27) weds Lucretia Walker in Concord, New Hampshire

    Inventor Samuel Morse (27) weds Lucretia Walker in Concord, New Hampshire

  4. Padded gloves designed by Jack Broughton are first used in a competitive boxing match between two unnamed English boxers

    Padded gloves designed by Jack Broughton are first used in a competitive boxing match between two unnamed English boxers at Aix-la-Chapelle in France

  5. Lord Byron completes the fourth canto of his long narrative poem "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage"

    Childe Harold's Pilgrimage: A Romaunt is a long narrative poem in four parts written by Lord Byron. The poem was published between 1812 and 1818.

Events After

  1. Russian Antarctic expedition led by Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev discover the continent of Ant

    Russian Antarctic expedition led by Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev discover the continent of Antarctica

  2. 5th US President James Monroe's daughter Maria is the first child of a President to marry in the White House

    5th US President James Monroe's daughter Maria is the first child of a President to marry in the White House

  3. The famous ancient Greek statue Venus de Milo is discovered on the Aegean island of Milos

    The Venus de Milo or Aphrodite of Melos is an ancient Greek marble sculpture that was created during the Hellenistic period.

  4. British PM Robert Peel (32) weds Sir John Floyd's daughter Julia at St George's, Hanover Square in London

    British PM Robert Peel (32) weds Sir John Floyd's daughter Julia at St George's, Hanover Square in London

  5. Astronomical Society of London (now the Royal Astronomical Society) founded in England

    Astronomical Society of London (now the Royal Astronomical Society) founded in England

More from the 1810s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on February 6, 1819?
Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles (5 July 1781 – 5 July 1826) was a British colonial official who served as the governor of the Dutch East Indies between 1811 and 1816 and lieutenant-governor of Bencoolen between 1818 and 1824. Raffles was involved in the capture of the Indonesian island of Java from the Dutch during the Napoleonic Wars. It was returned under the Anglo–Dutch Treaty of 1824.
Why is Stamford Raffles founds Singapore as a British trading post significant?
Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles (5 July 1781 – 5 July 1826) was a British colonial official who served as the governor of the Dutch East Indies between 1811 and 1816 and lieutenant-governor of Bencoolen between 1818 and 1824.
Who was involved in Stamford Raffles founds Singapore as a British trading post?
Key figures include Stamford Raffles (colonial official).

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