KEY DATES IN THE LIFE OF SINGAPORE'S LEE KUAN YEW
* Sept 16, 1923: Born into wealthy Chinese family in Singapore
* Feb 15, 1942: Japanese occupation begins in Singapore
* Feb 18-22, 1942: Japanese troops massacre between 50,000 and 100,000 Chinese Singaporeans. Lee observes the occupying army's brutality up close.
* 1946-49: Student at London School of Economics and Cambridge University
* Dec 23, 1947: Secretly marries Kwa Geok Choo, who was also studying law at Cambridge
* 1950: Lee passes bar exams and returns to Singapore to start practicing, with trade unions among his clients
* Nov 1954: Co-founds the People's Action Party (PAP)
* April 1955: Elected to Legislative Assembly as an opposition MP
* 1959: PAP wins 43 out of 51 seats in legislative assembly; Singapore is granted limited self-rule by Britain; Lee is sworn in as prime minister at age 35
* Sept 16, 1963: Malaysia and Singapore merge under the Malaysian Federation
* Aug 9, 1965: Singapore is evicted from the federation after political storms and race riots, becoming an independent republic. Lee cries on national TV when announcing the split
* Aug 8, 1967: Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is established with Singapore among the founding states
* 1968-72: Lee convinces unions to adopt non-confrontational stance towards employers to avoid strikes, enacts policies to attract international financial institutions, and embarks on a vigorous family planning campaign
* 1971: Last British military forces withdraw
* 1975: Lee approves construction of Changi Airport; it evolves into one of the world's major aviation hubs
* Nov 28, 1990: Lee steps down as PM, hands power to his deputy Goh Chok Tong
* 1990-04: Plays an advisory position in the cabinet as "senior minister"
* Aug 2004: His eldest son Lee Hsien Loong becomes prime minister; Lee continues to advise the cabinet as "minister mentor"
* Oct 2, 2010: Lee's wife Kwa Geok Choo dies following long illness
* May 2011: General elections are held; PAP retains power but suffers worst ever share in the popular vote. Lee steps down from his cabinet advisory role but remains an elected MP
* Feb 2013: Undergoes treatment for a prolonged irregular heartbeat due to a stroke-like condition
* Feb 5, 2015: Lee is hospitalised for severe pneumonia, goes into intensive care on life support
* March 23, 2015: Lee dies at age 91
