Malacca was founded in the 13th century by a Sumatran prince.
Colonial history began in 1511 when a Portuguese fleet led by
Alfonso de Albuquerque sailed into Malacca harbour and captured the
city by force.
In 1641 the Dutch took the city from the Portuguese and
controlled the spice trade for the next two hundred years. Around
this time Francis Light leased Penang for The British East India
Company, successfully establishing the British colony at
Georgetown. Interestingly, Francis Light's son William was one of
the founders and designers of Adelaide.
In 1819 British administration replaced the Dutch and
established a trading post in Singapore, which together with Penang
and Malacca, became known as the 'Straits Settlements'. The
White Rajahs began their reign over Sarawak in the 1840's,
beginning with the enigmatic James Brooks and remaining under the
rule of his descendents until ceding to the British in 1946. The
British eventually granted independence to Malaya on 31 August 1957
in Kuala Lumpur's Merdeka Square.
In 1963 Singapore, Sarawak, British North Borneo and the
Federation of Malaya joined together to form Malaysia. In 1965
Singapore exited, resulting in the Malaysia as we know it
today.