Singapore's 45th Birthday

31st July 2010. Written by Xin Li.

National Day, Singapore’s 45th Birthday is coming in a few days time.

Here is something I have drawn for the event. It took me a couple of days’ worth of work. Armed with a few photo references, I drew the whole thing from stretch with Photoshop CS2. The greatest challenge for this piece and other pieces was procrastination.

We are now reaching our 45th Year of Independence, who would have know a tiny island, a seemingly backward fishing village few hundred years ago would become one of the most highly developed cities in Southeast Asia?

Beyond all that national education, propaganda or not, I personally felt that Singapore’s development and survival is impressive by all accounts. No natural resources, small land area and a few historical events that could have jeopardize the island’s future, Singapore miraculously survived.

Here is a video that has been uploaded on Youtube for quite some time, offering a glimpse of how Singapore looked like in 1938 before the World War II struck Singapore.

Despite our tiny size, in a matter of a few years after independence, we have one of best Airports in the world and one of the busiest ports and on and on. Our achievements and developments showed that size did not matter.

Here is a video of Singapore during the 1950s.

For interesting reads about Singapore and its heritage, you can visit the Wise Old Owl
and Good Morning Yesterday.