The Straits Times 180th dating back to 1845

The Straits Times: Origins and Background

Reproduction of the very first issue of The Straits Times on July 15, 1845

With a history dating back to 1845, The Straits Times is the most widely read newspaper in Singapore with a reported combined print and digital readership of 1.34 million in 2014. It is currently the flagship English-language daily newspaper of Singapore Press Holdings Ltd (SPH), one of Asia’s leading media organisations with commercial interests in newspapers, book publishing, radio, television, new media, real estate, online classifieds, events and exhibitions, and education.

How The Straits Times was first conceived remains in dispute. The account given by Charles Burton Buckley – an amateur historian and a prominent resident of colonial Singapore – claims that the idea for establishing the newspaper came from an Armenian merchant, Marterus Thaddeus Apcar, who had employed an editor and ordered printing equipment from England for the purpose. Unfortunately, the intended editor died suddenly and Apcar went bankrupt before the arrival of the equipment. As a favour to Apcar, fellow Armenian Catchick Moses bought over the printing press and launched the newspaper in 1845 with Robert Carr Woods, an English journalist from Bombay, as the editor. Historian Constance Mary Turnbull disputed this account, arguing that it was unlikely that an Armenian merchant would have wanted to set up an English-language newspaper. In addition, she argued that given the limited size of the potential readership, it was unlikely that one would have wanted to start a newspaper to rival The Singapore Free Press, which was more established. However, it has also been postulated that Apcar wanted to set up a printing press to publish books in Armenian.

The newspaper was originally known as The Straits Times, and Singapore Journal of Commerce, a weekly paper first published on 15 July 1845. The first issue consisted of eight folio pages. The content comprised advertisements, an editorial, local news as well as foreign news extracted from overseas newspapers. The newspaper operated from its offices at No. 7 Commercial Square (present-day Raffles Place). With no more than 100 subscribers paying $16 a year, the newspaper struggled to survive. Moses withdrew from the business and left it to Woods in 1846. Timeline:

• 15 Jul 1845: First issue of The Straits Times, and Singapore Journal of Commerce is published, with Robert Carr Woods as editor.
• 1858: Newspaper becomes an afternoon daily and is renamed Singapore Daily Times.
• 16 Feb 1869: Fire razes Straits Times office premises and printing equipment.
• 1883: Daily issue is renamed The Straits Times.
• 1888: Arnot Reid is appointed editor.
• May 1900: Newspaper becomes a joint-stock company.
• 1908: Alexander William Still is appointed editor.
• 1928: George William Seabridge is appointed editor.
• 1931: Newspaper purchases a rotary press.
• 1937: Alfred Charles Simmons is appointed general manager.
• 1942–45: Newspaper stops production during the Japanese Occupation.
• 7 Sep 1945: First issue of the newspaper published after the occupation.
• Mar 1950: Newspaper becomes a public limited company.
• 1954: Printers go on a two-week strike.
• 3 Apr 1958: New office at Times House begins operatons.
• 1959: Newspaper headquarters relocates to Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore premises become a branch office.
• 1966: Printers and journalists go on a five-day strike.
• 1971: Printers and journalists go on an eight-day strike.
• 1973: Newspaper restructured into two companies: Straits Times Press (Singapore) and New Straits Times.
• 1975: The Straits Times Press (1975) Ltd is incorporated.
• 1982: S. R. Nathan is appointed executive chairman; SNPL is formed as a competitor to the Straits Times Group.
• 1984: The Straits Times Press, SNPL and Times Publishing Bhd are merged to form SPH, a multiplatform media organisation.
• 1988: Lim Kim San is appointed executive chairman of SPH.
• 2002: SPH headquarters moves to Toa Payoh North.
• 2015: The Straits Times celebrates its 170th anniversary.
• Aug 2015: The Straits Times reaches a daily average circulation of 481,700.

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The Straits Times

The Straits Times (also known informally by its abbreviation ST) is a Singaporean daily English-language newspaper owned by the SPH Media Trust. Established on 15 July 1845, it is the most-widely circulated newspaper in the country and has a significant regional audience. The newspaper is published in the broadsheet format and online, the latter of which was launched in 1994. It is regarded as the newspaper of record for Singapore. Print and digital editions of The Straits Times and The Sunday Times had a daily average circulation of 364,134 and 364,849 respectively in 2017, as audited by Audit Bureau of Circulations Singapore. In 2014, country-specific editions were published for residents in Brunei and Myanmar, with newsprint circulations of 2,500 and 5,000 respectively.

The original conception for The Straits Times has been debated by historians of Singapore. Prior to 1845, the only English-language newspaper in Singapore was The Singapore Free Press, founded by William Napier in 1835. Marterus Thaddeus Apcar, an Armenian merchant, had intended to start a paper, hired an editor, and purchased printing equipment from England. However the would-be editor died abruptly, prior to the arrival of the printing equipment, and Apcar went bankrupt. Fellow Armenian and friend, Catchick Moses, then bought the printing equipment from Apcar and launched The Straits Times with Robert Carr Woods, Sr., an English journalist from Bombay as editor. The paper was founded as The Straits Times and Singapore Journal of Commerce on 15 July 1845.

The Straits Times was launched as an eight-page weekly, published at 7 Commercial Square using a hand-operated press. The subscription fee then was Sp.$1.75 per month. As editor, Woods sought to distinguish The Straits Times from The Singapore Free Press by including humour, short stories, and foreign news, and by making use of regular steamship services carrying mail that launched shortly before The Straits Times was launched. Historian Mary Turnbull disputes this account of The Straits Times' founding, saying that it was unlikely an Armenian merchant would have wanted to find an English-language newspaper, particularly given the presence of the more established Singapore Free Press. In September 1846, the paper was given to Woods outright because the press proved unprofitable to run and Moses was unable to sell it. The paper struggled with a lack of subscribers and newsworthy items to coverage. Woods covered the financial deficit by using the printing press for other projects, including the first directory of Singapore, The Straits Times Almanack, Calendar and Directory, published in 1846.

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The Straits Times

The Straits Times is an English language broadsheet daily newspaper. It is the most widely-circulated and oldest surviving newspaper in Singapore. The paper was established on 15 July 1845 by Armenian businessman Catchick Moses and was originally known as The Straits Times and Singapore Journal of Commerce. The Straits Times is currently owned by Singapore Press Holdings. This particular edition of the Straits Times is significant as it is the first Straits Times edition of the 21st century.

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Reflections on turning 170 today 15 Jul 2015

The paper was first published on 15 July 1845

There are no words to express my astonishment at receiving yesterday's copy of The Straits Times.

My immediate response on browsing through the bumper issue was to message my friends to get a copy before they ran out.

The 60-page special on the 170 years of The Straits Times ("Living History") was certainly a gift to all Singaporeans, and a timely one for the nation's 50th birthday.

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The Fourth of July 2025

Independence Day (United States)

Fireworks displays, such as these over the Washington Monument in 1986, take place across the United States on Independence Day

Independence Day, known colloquially as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States of America.

The Founding Father delegates of the Second Continental Congress declared that the Thirteen Colonies were no longer subject (and subordinate) to the monarch of Britain, King George III, and were now united, free, and independent states. The Congress voted to approve independence by passing the Lee Resolution on July 2 and adopted the Declaration of Independence two days later, on July 4.

Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, family reunions, political speeches, and ceremonies, in addition to various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States. Independence Day is the national day of the United States.

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The Founding & Discovery of America

Did the Chinese discover America before Columbus?

History has it that on October 12, 1492, Christopher Columbus landed in the Americas. But was he the first one to do so, really? Well, according to an ancient map, a Chinese explorer named Zheng He predated Columbus by over 70 years! Just how much do we know about this map and its supposed author? And is there any historical evidence to confirm these claims? In this gallery, we delve into the theory that states China reached the Americas first.

In 2006, a Chinese lawyer and collector named Liu Gang unveiled an old map at a Shanghai bookshop. The map was supposedly an 18th-century copy of a map from 1418. Unlike other European maps back then, this one depicted North and South America, as well as Australia and Antarctica. The man behind the map was supposedly Chinese explorer Zheng He (1371-1433). The Chinese Muslim eunuch traveled across the seas for 30 years. From 1405 to 1433, Zheng He is said to have set sail on seven voyages through the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Indeed, there are historical records of his trips to Southeast Asia, India, the Persian Gulf, and the east coast of Africa, as well as evidence of his using advanced navigational techniques and ships.

But according to former British submarine lieutenant-commander and author Gavin Menzies, Zheng He went even further, and was the first one to discover America. According to Menzies, the Chinese explorer did so in 1421—that’s 71 years before Columbus! Menzies laid out his theory in his 2003 book, entitled ‘1421: The Year China Discovered America.’ Menzies has welcomed the map as evidence, despite the fact that the map of America is dated three years (1418) prior to when Zheng He supposedly discovered the New World (1421). It goes without saying that the authenticity of the map has been disputed.

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Summer Solstice 2025 夏至 Xià Zhì

Summer solstice: Traditions around the world

In many parts of the world there is no better time to work on your mojo than on the longest day of the year. In Belarus girls and boys take the opportunity to celebrate the midnight sun on Ivan Kupala Day by bathing in lakes

In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice has a history of stirring libidos, and it's no wonder. The longest day of the year tends to kick off the start of the summer season and with it, the harvest. So it should come as no surprise that the solstice is linked to fertility -- both of the vegetal and human variety -- in destinations around the world.

"A lot of children are born nine months after Midsummer in Sweden," says Jan-Öjvind Swahn, a Swedish ethnologist and the author of several books on the subject. Midsummer is the Scandinavian holiday celebrating the summer solstice, which this year falls on June 21. Swedish traditions include dancing around a maypole -- a symbol which some view as phallic -- and feasting on herring and copious amounts of vodka.

"Drinking is the most typical Midsummer tradition. There are historical pictures of people drinking to the point where they can't go on anymore," says Swahn. While the libations have a hand in the subsequent baby boom, Swahn points out that even without the booze, Midsummer is a time rich in romantic ritual. "There used to be a tradition among unmarried girls, where if they ate something very salty during Midsummer, or else collected several different kinds of flowers and put these under their pillow when they slept, they would dream of their future husbands," he says.

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What is a Solstice?

A solstice is one of the two times of the year when the positioning and tilt of Earth relative to the sun results in the most amount of daylight time or the least amount of daylight time in a single day. There are two solstices during the year: one that occurs around June 20–22 (usually June 20 or 21) and one that occurs around December 20–23 (usually December 21 or 22).

The solstices are traditionally considered to mark the start of summer and winter. But which season begins with each solstice depends on which hemisphere you’re in. In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice occurs in June and the winter solstice occurs in December. In the Southern Hemisphere, it’s the opposite. The summer solstice results in the longest day of the year, meaning it has the most time of daylight, and the winter solstice results in the shortest day of the year, meaning it has the longest period of darkness.

In contrast, an equinox is one of the two times of the year when the amount of daylight and nighttime hours are just about of equal length. The two equinoxes occur around March 20–21 and September 22–23. In the Northern Hemisphere, the vernal equinox (or spring equinox) occurs in March and the autumnal equinox occurs in September. In the Southern Hemisphere, it’s the opposite.

related: “Equinox” vs. “Solstice” - The Difference Between Them Is Like Night And Day

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Happy Father's Day 2025

Father's Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June

World Environment Day 2025

The foods we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink and the climate that makes our planet habitable all come from nature.

Yet, these are exceptional times in which nature is sending us a message:

• To care for ourselves we must care for nature.
• It’s time to wake up. To take notice. To raise our voices.
• It’s time to build back better for People and Planet.
• This World Environment Day, it’s Time for Nature.

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World Environment Day

World Environment Day (WED) is celebrated on 5 June every year, and is the United Nations' principal vehicle for encouraging awareness and action for the protection of the environment. First held in 1974, it has been a flagship campaign for raising awareness on environmental issues emerging from marine pollution, human overpopulation, and global warming, to sustainable consumption and wildlife crime. World Environment Day has grown to become a global platform for public outreach, with participation from over 143 countries annually. Each year, WED has provided a new theme that major corporations, NGOs, communities, governments and all celebrities worldwide adopt to advocate environmental causes.

World Environment Day was established in 1972 by the United Nations on the first day of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment, resulting from discussions on the integration of human interactions and the environment. Two years later, in 1974 the first WED was held with the theme "Only One Earth". Even though WED celebration have been held annually since 1974, in 1987 the idea for rotating the centre of these activities through selecting different host countries began.

For almost five decades, World Environment Day has been raising awareness, supporting action, and driving changes for the environment

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