In Pictures: The spirit of the nation, beyond politics and parade

The pride of the nation is often depicted in images of political events and the brilliant display of talent and teamwork during the National Day Parade.
Not withstanding the importance of these elements in nation-building, the spirit of the nation is best seen through the everyday struggles and joys of its people.
We celebrate this spirit in our quest to develop a better society.
Pictures curated by Jagjit Kaur & Zarinah Mohamed. Photographs can be purchased from the Information Resource Centre, tel: 63195726, 63195508

Updated

Published

Aug 08, 2017, 07:55 AM

1959: A large crowd gathers at Botanic Gardens for the inaugural Aneka Ragam Ra’ayat ("people’s variety show") concert. The show was part of a series of open-air concerts sponsored by the Ministry of Culture to promote a Malayan outlook, with performances by various ethnic and cultural groups.
ST FILE PHOTO: LOW YEW KONG

1963: Families moving out to make way for the development of Toa Payoh into a large industrial and residential satellite town. Since 1960 when the Housing and Development Board (HDB) was formed, the board has begun moving people from squatter settlements to public housing flats. ST FILE PHOTO: KOK AH CHONG

1967: Rapid industrialisation provided job opportunities for more people. Women factory workers in a garment factory in Commonwealth Drive. ST FILE PHOTO: MAK KIAN SENG

1973: The dynamism of youth: these scouts from Katong District took off on a long trek to raise funds for their activities. ST FILE PHOTO: MAZLAN BADRON

1973: Working towards a common goal - villagers and national servicemen desilting Sungei Pang Sua in Bukit Panjang to mark the start of "Keep Our Water Clean" campaign. They spent hours shovelling mud and weeds from the river, which carries rain water to Seletar Reservoir. ST FILE PHOTO: TAN WEE HIM

1977: Crowds queueing for tickets for the Malaysia Cup semi-final match between Singapore and Selangor at the National Stadium. Singapore prevailed and went on to win the cup in the final against Penang. ST FILE PHOTO: MAK KIAN SENG

1980: Toh Tuck Secondary School's Chinese Orchestra enthralled residents at the Woodlands Home for Aged with dance performances and recitals. ST FILE PHOTO: MAZLAN BADRON

1985: Civic behaviour - Students queueing to take the bus. ST FILE PHOTO: LIM SENG TIONG

1986: The collapse of the Hotel New World in March was one of Singapore's deadliest civil disaster. A massive rescue operation began involving the army, fire service, the Singapore Civil Defence Force and foreign experts to rescue the trapped victims. The final toll was 33 dead and 17 survivors were pulled out of the rubble.
ST FILE PHOTO: WAN SENG YIP

1987: On November 7, the MRT system opened for the first time. Even though there were only five stations open – Toa Payoh, Braddell, Bishan, Ang Mo Kio and Yio Chu Kang – about 120,000 people turned up, eager to try the trains out. ST FILE PHOTO: MICHAEL LIEW

1994: Singapore fans in the tens of thousands supporting the Lions at the height of football fever. The Singapore “dream team” beat Selangor 4-0 to win the Malaysia Cup. ST FILE PHOTO: JERRY SEH

1997: Students in full concentration pit their problem-solving skills against each other at the annual Singapore Mathematical Olympiad.
ST FILE PHOTO: SIM CHI YIN

2000: Having fun: it was the night when Singapore partied to welcome the new millennium. An estimated 400,000 people jammed the Millennium Swing Singapore party in Orchard Road. ST FILE PHOTO: LUIS ENRIQUE ASCUI

2000: A partially blind Turkish woman kissing the washing machine given to her by a group of Singapore volunteers, who rendered their services after Turkey was hit by earthquakes in 1999. ST FILE PHOTO : ALAN LIM

2003: Commemoration ceremony in July for victims and healthcare workers for their efforts in fighting the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) outbreak earlier in the year. More than 200 people were infected, 33 of whom died. Singaporeans showed their community spirit by donating generously to the Courage Fund, which was set up to help the workers and victims. ST FILE PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM

2007: Volunteers strung up in harnesses, dangling from a height of 40m, rehearsing for a performance called “Dreams in Flight”, specially created for the opening of the Arts Festival. The show’s message is that humans of all cultures are all one and the same.
TNP FILE PHOTO: KENNETH KOH

2011: Leaders from various religious groups offer prayers during the Remembrance Day service at Kranji War Cemetery. The annual service is a reminder for Singaporeans not to take peace and religious harmony for granted. ST FILE PHOTO: CAROLINE CHIA

2011: School of Science and Technology (SST) students helping to serve food to a group of construction workers during the start of the new school year. In addition to the brunch buffet, the students also prepared a video tribute as a way of thanking the 180 workers who are building their new campus. ST FILE PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN

2012: Healthy lifestyle: participants from all walks of life taking part in a mass yoga event at East Coast Park. ST FILE PHOTO: RAJ NADARAJAN

2013: Happy families: mums, dads and their little ones participating in an outdoor run. ST FILE PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN

2015: Singaporeans braved the pouring rain as they wait patiently for former prime minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s cortege to pass on 29 March. Mr Lee passed away on 23 March, prompting a large outpouring of emotion and tributes from Singaporeans from all walks of life.
ST FILE PHOTO: LAU FOOK KONG

2016: Attendees observing a moment of silence at a memorial to honour the volunteers and soldiers who defended Singapore during Konfrontasi, the period of hostilities with Indonesia in the 1960s. ST FILE PHOTO: LAU FOOK KONG

2016 :A long queue at Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle during lunchtime. The hawker stall in Crawford Lane was awarded a Michelin star in the inaugural Singapore Michelin food guide. ST FILE PHOTO: KEVIN LIM

2016: Paralympic athletes and their supporters taking photographs during the One Team Singapore celebratory parade for the Rio 2016 Paralympians The team gave their best performance at the Games, winning two golds and one bronze, all from swimming. ST FILE PHOTO: MARK CHEONG

2016: Poster of Singapore's first Olympic champion Joseph Schooling posing with thousands of fans who showed up at his victory parade. He won the gold medal in the 100m butterfly in the 2016 Rio Games, beating his own swimming idol. ST FILE PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG

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