• National service: Early years

      National service (NS) was introduced in post-independence Singapore when the National Service (Amendment) Act came into effect on 17 March 1967. Then Defence Minister Goh Keng Swee justified the government’s decision to introduce compulsory conscription of male ...

    • National Service riots of 1954

      Singapore’s earliest attempt to introduce compulsory conscription was in 1952. The endeavour was unsuccessful as it was vigorously resisted by Chinese middle school students and their parents, who did not see the need to support the British colonial government’s ...

    • National service: Later years

      The Singapore government introduced national service (NS) in 1967 to develop and maintain a credible defence force manned by Singapore’s citizens, given the withdrawal of British military forces from the city-state by the 1970s. Since then, all male Singapore citizens ...

    • National Library (1980–1995)

      Between 1980 and 1995, the National Library embarked on the computerisation of its library operations and services. To keep abreast with the information technology (IT) revolution, new audiovisual, multimedia and online services were also launched. Decentralisation ...

    • Four National Taps

      The Four National Taps, a term used by then Minister for the Environment Lim Swee Say in 2004, refer to the four sources that Singapore relies on for its water supply. They comprise water from local catchment, imported water, high-grade reclaimed water known as ...

    • National Library Building (Stamford Road)

      The National Library Building, located at 91 Stamford Road, officially opened on 12 November 1960. Between 1887 and 1960, the National Library had previously occupied the western wing of the Raffles Museum (now the National Museum of Singapore) at Stamford Road. ...

    • Singapore’s national flag

      In 1959, a new state flag was created to represent Singapore shortly after it became a self-governing state under British rule. Developed by a committee led by then Deputy Prime Minister Toh Chin Chye, the flag was unveiled on 3 December 1959, the day when Singapore’s ...

    • National School Savings Campaign

      The National School Savings Campaign (NSSC) was introduced to government and government-aided schools in 1969 to cultivate thrift in students and to encourage them to save with the Post Office Savings Bank (POSB). The campaign was also part of a domestic savings ...

    • National Kidney Foundation financial scandal (2005)

      The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) financial scandal involved the revelation of a number of malpractices at the charity organisation, including the misuse of donated funds by its former chief executive officer T. T. Durai. The scandal broke in July 2005 after ...

    • National Library (1960-1979)

      Between 1960 and 1979, the National Library expanded its collections and diversified its services. The number of library members grew from 55,000 in 1963 to more than 322,000 by the end of March 1979. Key developments include the library moving beyond the promotion ...

    • Singapore’s first National Day celebrations

      In 1966, Singapore celebrated its 9 August National Day for the first time. It was a week-long string of festivities that included a big parade, fireworks displays, cultural shows, and dinner parties. It was actually Singapore’s second National Day. The very first ...

    • Benedict Tan

      Benedict Tan Chi’ Loong (Dr) (b. 21 November 1967, Singapore–) is a former national sailor who has won gold medals at the Asian Games and Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. He is also a medical doctor specialising in sports medicine and president of the Singapore Sailing ...

    • Lee Kong Chian

      Lee Kong Chian (Dr) (b. 18 October 1893, Nan’an, Quanzhou, Fujian, China–d. 2 June 1967, Singapore), also known as Geok Kun, was a philanthropist and multi-millionaire businessman who made his mark in the rubber trade and later the pineapple, coconut oil and sawmill ...

    • Vigilante Corps

      The Vigilante Corps (VC) was originally a network of volunteers set up by the government in April 1964 to guard key installations and protect crowded public areas against terrorist attacks by Indonesian saboteurs during the Indonesian–Malaysian Confrontation (1963–66). ...

    • Antarctica 2000 expedition

      At 4 am on 31 December 1999, four members of the Antarctica 2000 expedition team arrived at the South Pole after an arduous 1,125-kilometre trek, becoming the first Singapore team to do so. Upon reaching the South Pole, they unfurled the Singapore national flag. ...

    • Kit Chan

      Kit Chan (陈洁仪) (b. 15 September 1972, Singapore – ) is a Singaporean singer, actress, author and Singapore’s first Youth Ambassador. Dubbed by the local Chinese media as Singapore’s “national treasure”, the multi-talented artiste has recorded numerous albums in ...

    • Singapore joins the United Nations

      Singapore became the 117th member state of the United Nations (UN) on 21 September 1965. This was an important milestone for the country as membership in the UN conferred international recognition of Singapore as a sovereign and independent state. On the occasion, ...

    • National coat of arms (State crest)

      The national coat of arms, also known as the state crest, symbolises Singapore as a self-governing and independent state. Like the national flag, the state crest was designed by a committee headed by then Deputy Prime Minister Toh Chin Chye. Singapore’s state crest ...

    • Singapore’s national anthem

      The Singapore national anthem, Majulah Singapura, was composed in 1958 by Zubir Said, a prolific songwriter, as the official song of the City Council of Singapore. After Singapore became a self-governing state under British rule on 3 June 1959, the song was shortened ...

    • National Pledge

      The finalised version of the national pledge was largely drafted by then Minister for Foreign Affairs S. Rajaratnam in February 1966 as a way to promote national loyalty and consciousness among citizens following Singapore's separation from Malaysia on 9 August ...

       

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