1857 - A group of tin-miners led by a Bugis chief, Raja Abdullah, landed at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers in search of tin; an event that marked the beginning of a city whose early development was closely tied up with a flourishing tin-trade and the able leadership and foresight of the Chinese chieftain, Yap Ah Loy. It began as a small trading post and meeting place for miners from the newly discovered tin-mines upriver. Soon after, a small town of attap huts grew around the trading post and as the tin trade prospered, the town developed.

1896 - British intervention and the formation of the Federated Malay States. Kuala Lumpur became its capital. As the seat of British administration in the Malay States, Kuala Lumpur inherited from this period in its history, a system of roads and the fine examples of gracious colonial architecture which are still evident today.

1957 - The Federation of Malaya gained its independence, Kuala Lumpur was declared the Federal capital.

1963 - Malaysia was formed through a federation of the former British colonies of Malaya and Singapore, including the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak on the northern coast of Borneo. The first several years of the country's history were marred by Indonesian efforts to control Malaysia, Philippine claims to Sabah, and Singapore's secession from the federation in 1965.

1972 - Kuala Lumpur it achieved city status. At the same time, it also remained as the capital of the state of Selangor, a status it attained in 1887. 

1974 - Kuala Lumpur was officially declared a Federal Territory in a colourful ceremony full of pomp and pageantry which also marked the end of Selangor's jurisdiction over Kuala Lumpur.

Kuala Lumpur as it is known today, bears little resemblance to its humble beginnings. It has emerged from the troubled early years - the disastrous floods, the Japanese occupation and the Emergency - to become the most developed city in the country, setting a fast pace for others to follow. But the endearing old world charm remains within its lush atmosphere of a garden city in full bloom.

Updated On: 03.12.10