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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
The Singapore government has commissioned national songs since the 1980s. The early songs featured strong nationalistic themes and resembled advertising jingles. Since then, national songs have taken on a pop sensibility and become a showcase for local musical ...
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 ...
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 ...
When Princess Elizabeth was crowned Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom (UK) and Head of the Commonwealth on 2 June 1953, Singapore celebrated the coronation along with other British colonies and the UK. Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne in 1952 when ...
The National Theatre was a public theatre used for performances, concerts and conferences that was situated at the corner of Clemenceau Avenue and River Valley Road. Built to commemorate Singapore's achievement of self-government in 1959, it was also known as the ...
Swing Singapore began as a street party in 1988 and continued as a part of the National Day celebrations until 1992 when variations of the event were starting to be held. For example, the Millennium Swing Singapore in 1999 made the annual street party a New Year’s ...
The National AIDS Control Programme is an action plan for protecting against and preventing the spread of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection and AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) in Singapore. It was formulated by the Advisory Committee on AIDS ...
Singapore’s national reserves are the net assets (assets minus liabilities) of the country. Being a small nation lacking in natural resources and relying heavily on external trade, Singapore requires ample reserves as its security net to ensure a stable currency ...
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 ...
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. ...
The National Library Building at 100 Victoria Street is the headquarters of the National Library Board (NLB). Opened in 2005, the Victoria Street premises replaced the old National Library Building on Stamford Road. The 16-storey complex houses mainly the collections ...
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 ...
The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) was established on 6 September 1961, with Mahmud Awang as the pro-tem chairman and C. V. Devan Nair its first secretary-general. The labour movement initially represented only a minority of unionised workers. Its membership, ...
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 ...
The National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) is a youth uniformed group in Singapore supported by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and the Ministry of Education (MOE). It was set up in 1959 as the Police Cadet Corps (PCC), against the backdrop of nation-building to break ...
Formed in 1929, the National Aerated Water Company (NAWC) manufactured, bottled and distributed soft drinks in Singapore and Malaysia. The company was noted for its distributorship of popular brands of soft drinks, including Sinalco and Kickapoo Joy Juice. The ...
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 ...