It begins with 1965, the year Singapore separated from Malaysia and became an independent, sovereign nation with a population of about 1.9 million people. It was the year Singaporeans watched the late founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew tearing up on national television, speaking candidly at a press conference over a “moment of anguish” about the separation.
And then 1966 was the year of Singapore’s first National Day Parade, and when the first ICs and passports were issued. The year after that saw another meaningful milestone, and 900 Singaporean sons were called up to enlist in the first National Service intake. The first Singapore dollars were issued this year as well.
Many fun facts pepper the entire series of minute-long clips, which were produced by CNA’s current affairs team. Did you know, for example, that:
- Singapore changed its time zone in 1982
- Before the 1980s, the National Pledge was recited with the right hand raised instead of a clenched fist over the heart
- The Esplanade wasn’t intentionally designed to look like a pair of durians
Each clip in the SG60 series is built around a simple question: What was Singapore like in that year? You’ll find as you dive into each year, there is a key event and important milestones that contributed to nation-building. These include the launch of the MRT, colour TV, cashless payment and the year Singapore gave out the keys to its millionth HDB flat.
