READ! Singapore is a nationwide campaign organised by the National Library Board (NLB) that aims to promote a reading culture among Singaporeans. An annual event since its inception in 2005, READ! Singapore features book discussions and related activities like ...
William Henry Macleod Read, K.C.N.L., C.M.G., affectionately known as WH, (b. 7 February 1819, Scotland–d. 10 May 1909, England) was an established businessman and an active contributor to political and social interests during the almost 46 years of his life in ...
Singapore is served by a modern sanitation system in which all used water is collected through a network of sewers and channelled to water reclamation plants. But this was not always so. In the 1800s, the sewage collection and disposal system in Singapore relied ...
Singapore is considered to be one of the most water-stressed countries in the world. It is heavily dependent on rainfall due to the lack of natural water resources, and limited land is available for water storage facilities. Prolonged dry spells cause or threaten ...
Michael and Sonya Fong were Singapore's first couple to set out on a world motorcycle trip, which they called "Baby Quek's Big Adventure", on 17 September 1995. They travelled for nearly two years, returning on 14 May 1997. Riding their 1,000 cc BMW motorcycle, ...
Read Bridge is a beam structured bridge that straddles the central part of the Singapore River. The bridge was officially opened by then Governor Cecil Clementi Smith on 18 April 1889.
Opium (Papaver somniferum) contributed significantly to the general trade in Singapore’s pioneering years. Encouraged by the British colonial government, it reaped great profit from opium licenses. However, many Chinese coolies succumbed to this vice as an escape ...
The Born to Read, Read to Bond programme aimed to promote reading from young and deepen family ties by increasing parent-child bonding. The programme, introduced by the National Library Board on 27 November 2001, was designed for newly born children to children ...
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 ...
Tuberculosis, commonly known as TB, is an infectious disease caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacterium. It spreads from person to person via airborne respiratory droplets from an infected person, and primarily affects the lungs. In the 19th century, Singapore’s ...
The Singapore Chinese Physicians’ Association was founded in 1946 after World War II. Formerly known as the Singapore Chinese Medical Society, it is one of the largest traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) organisations in Singapore. It was established to provide ...
Launched by then prime minister Goh Chok Tong at the National Stadium on 3 October 1993, the Great Singapore Workout is a fitness routine that formed part of the month-long National Healthy Lifestyle Programme. The workout is a specially designed low-impact aerobic ...
The Singapore River is located within the island’s Central Region. The 3.2-kilometre-long waterway – from its mouth to Kim Seng Bridge – has been the lifeline of Singapore for almost 200 years. Proof of its ancient beginnings lies in the Singapore Stone, which ...
The Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) was formed on 1 April 1964 to take over the functions, assets and liabilities of the Singapore Harbour Board. It was operating five maritime gateways by 1990, including Keppel Wharves, Jurong Port, Sembawang Wharves, Tanjong ...
In the midst of World War I, on 15 February 1915, the Right Wing (Rajput) of the 5th Light Infantry (Indian Army) which was stationed in Singapore, revolted, killing more than 40 British officers, British residents and local civilians. The mutiny was originally ...
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 ...
The Singapore River is about 2.95 km long, starting from Kim Seng Bridge to its mouth at the Esplanade, where it empties into the Marina Reservoir. A comparison of the old map of the river with a current one seems to show more sources and the river seems longer ...
Strikes and other forms of labour unrest were common in 1950s Singapore. The year 1955 saw 57 cases of labour unrest involving bus company workers, including the Hock Lee bus workers’ strike and riot. That same year, bus workers of the Singapore Traction Company ...
Established on 27 October 1954, Singapore Polytechnic (SP) was Singapore’s first polytechnic. Initially concerned with producing skilled technicians to support the nation’s move toward industrialisation, SP has since evolved to meet changing manpower needs as Singapore’s ...
The fraternal society known as Freemasonry began in Singapore on 8 December 1845 with the establishment of Lodge Zetland in the East, now Singapore’s oldest surviving Freemason lodge. Its members are called Freemasons or Masons, and belong to lodges or temples. ...