Singapore 43th National Day 9 August 2008
09/08/2008
08/08/2008
Olympic Games Beijing 2008
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics (Chinese: 2008年夏季奥运会; pinyin: Èr Líng Líng Bā Nián Xiàjì Àoyùnhuì), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (Chinese: 第二十九届夏季奥林匹克运动会; pinyin: Dì Èrshíjiǔ Jiè Xiàjì Àolínpǐkè Yùndònghuì) and officially branded as Beijing 2008 (Chinese: 北京2008; pinyin: Běijīng èr líng líng bā), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) competed in 28 sports and 302 events, one event more than those scheduled for the 2004 Summer Olympics. This was the first time China had hosted the Olympic Games, and the third time the Summer Olympic Games had been held in East Asia, following the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, and the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. These were also the second Summer Olympic Games to be held in a communist state, the first being the 1980 Summer Olympics in the Soviet Union (with venues in Russia, Ukraine, Byelorussia, and Estonia).
Beijing was awarded the 2008 Games over four competitors on 13 July 2001, having won a majority of votes from members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) after two rounds of voting. The Government of the People's Republic of China promoted the 2008 Games and invested heavily in new facilities and transport systems. 37 venues were used to host the events, including twelve constructed specifically for the 2008 Games. The equestrian events were held in Hong Kong, making these the third Olympics for which the events were held under the jurisdiction of two different NOCs. The sailing events were contested in Qingdao, while the football events took place across several different cities.
The official logo for the 2008 Games, titled "Dancing Beijing" (舞动北京), created by Guo Chunning (郭春宁), featured the Chinese character for capital (京, stylized into the shape of a human being) in reference to the host city. The 2008 Olympics were watched by 3.5 billion people worldwide, and featured the longest distance for an Olympic Torch relay. The 2008 Games also set numerous world and Olympic records, and were the most expensive Summer Olympics of all time, and the second most expensive overall, after the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi. The opening ceremony was lauded by spectators and numerous international presses as spectacular, spellbinding, and by many accounts, "the greatest ever in the history of Olympics". Beijing hosted the 2022 Winter Olympics, making it the first city ever to host both the Summer and Winter Games. An unprecedented 87 countries won at least one medal during the 2008 Games. Host nation China won the most gold medals (48) and became the seventh different team to top an overall Summer Olympics medal tally, winning a total of 100 medals overall. The United States placed second in the gold medal tally but won the highest number of medals overall (112). The third place in the gold medal tally was achieved by Russia.
Singapore at the Olympics
Singapore's first Olympic medal was won by Tan Howe Liang, who won silver in lightweight weightlifting in 1960 Summer Olympics. The first and to date only Olympic gold medal was won by Joseph Schooling in the men's 100 metre butterfly at the 2016 Summer Olympics. In table tennis, Jing Junhong, Li Jiawei and Yu Mengyu came close to winning medals by finishing in fourth place for the women's singles events at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, 2004 Athens Olympics and 2020 Tokyo Olympics respectively.
In the 2016 Rio Olympics, Olympic swimmer Joseph Schooling won a gold medal in the Men's 100 metre butterfly in an Olympics record of 50.39 seconds, becoming the first gold Olympic medallist of Singapore. This was also the first gold medal by a Southeast Asian male swimmer and the first Olympic gold that Singapore achieved. During the 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan, Singapore sent 23 athletes to the Games but did not manage to win any medals
Singapore in the Olympics
Singapore’s past Olympic medallists
Singapore made its Olympic debut as a British colony at London 1948 with its sole representative, fireman Lloyd Valberg, who was the late grand uncle of Olympic champion Joseph Schooling. He finished joint-14th out of 27 high jumpers with a 1.8m leap.
Since then, the Republic’s athletes have competed in every edition of the Games, except in Moscow 1980 when Singapore joined a United States-led boycott.
The Straits Times looks at the medallists through the years:
- Tan Howe Liang, weightlifting (1960)
- Feng Tianwei, Li Jiawei, and Wang Yuegu, table tennis (2008, 2012)
- Feng Tianwei, table tennis (2012)
- Joseph Schooling, swimming (2016)
- Max Maeder, kitefoiling (2024)
Paralympic Games Medals
related:
15/07/2008
The Straits Times 163th dating back to 1845
The Straits Times: Origins and Background
Reproduction of the very first issue of The Straits Times on July 15, 1845
How The Straits Times was first conceived remains in dispute. The account given by Charles Burton Buckley – an amateur historian and a prominent resident of colonial Singapore – claims that the idea for establishing the newspaper came from an Armenian merchant, Marterus Thaddeus Apcar, who had employed an editor and ordered printing equipment from England for the purpose. Unfortunately, the intended editor died suddenly and Apcar went bankrupt before the arrival of the equipment. As a favour to Apcar, fellow Armenian Catchick Moses bought over the printing press and launched the newspaper in 1845 with Robert Carr Woods, an English journalist from Bombay, as the editor. Historian Constance Mary Turnbull disputed this account, arguing that it was unlikely that an Armenian merchant would have wanted to set up an English-language newspaper. In addition, she argued that given the limited size of the potential readership, it was unlikely that one would have wanted to start a newspaper to rival The Singapore Free Press, which was more established. However, it has also been postulated that Apcar wanted to set up a printing press to publish books in Armenian.
The newspaper was originally known as The Straits Times, and Singapore Journal of Commerce, a weekly paper first published on 15 July 1845. The first issue consisted of eight folio pages. The content comprised advertisements, an editorial, local news as well as foreign news extracted from overseas newspapers. The newspaper operated from its offices at No. 7 Commercial Square (present-day Raffles Place). With no more than 100 subscribers paying $16 a year, the newspaper struggled to survive. Moses withdrew from the business and left it to Woods in 1846. Timeline:
- 15 Jul 1845: First issue of The Straits Times, and Singapore Journal of Commerce is published, with Robert Carr Woods as editor.
- 1858: Newspaper becomes an afternoon daily and is renamed Singapore Daily Times.
- 16 Feb 1869: Fire razes Straits Times office premises and printing equipment.
- 1883: Daily issue is renamed The Straits Times.
- 1888: Arnot Reid is appointed editor.
- May 1900: Newspaper becomes a joint-stock company.
- 1908: Alexander William Still is appointed editor.
- 1928: George William Seabridge is appointed editor.
- 1931: Newspaper purchases a rotary press.
- 1937: Alfred Charles Simmons is appointed general manager.
- 1942–45: Newspaper stops production during the Japanese Occupation.
- 7 Sep 1945: First issue of the newspaper published after the occupation.
- Mar 1950: Newspaper becomes a public limited company.
- 1954: Printers go on a two-week strike.
- 3 Apr 1958: New office at Times House begins operatons.
- 1959: Newspaper headquarters relocates to Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore premises become a branch office.
- 1966: Printers and journalists go on a five-day strike.
- 1971: Printers and journalists go on an eight-day strike.
- 1973: Newspaper restructured into two companies: Straits Times Press (Singapore) and New Straits Times.
- 1975: The Straits Times Press (1975) Ltd is incorporated.
- 1982: S. R. Nathan is appointed executive chairman; SNPL is formed as a competitor to the Straits Times Group.
- 1984: The Straits Times Press, SNPL and Times Publishing Bhd are merged to form SPH, a multiplatform media organisation.
- 1988: Lim Kim San is appointed executive chairman of SPH.
- 2002: SPH headquarters moves to Toa Payoh North.
- 2015: The Straits Times celebrates its 170th anniversary.
- Aug 2015: The Straits Times reaches a daily average circulation of 481,700.
The Straits Times
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The Straits Times (also known informally by its abbreviation ST) is a Singaporean daily English-language newspaper owned by the SPH Media Trust. Established on 15 July 1845, it is the most-widely circulated newspaper in the country and has a significant regional audience. The newspaper is published in the broadsheet format and online, the latter of which was launched in 1994. It is regarded as the newspaper of record for Singapore. Print and digital editions of The Straits Times and The Sunday Times had a daily average circulation of 364,134 and 364,849 respectively in 2017, as audited by Audit Bureau of Circulations Singapore. In 2014, country-specific editions were published for residents in Brunei and Myanmar, with newsprint circulations of 2,500 and 5,000 respectively.
The original conception for The Straits Times has been debated by historians of Singapore. Prior to 1845, the only English-language newspaper in Singapore was The Singapore Free Press, founded by William Napier in 1835. Marterus Thaddeus Apcar, an Armenian merchant, had intended to start a paper, hired an editor, and purchased printing equipment from England. However the would-be editor died abruptly, prior to the arrival of the printing equipment, and Apcar went bankrupt. Fellow Armenian and friend, Catchick Moses, then bought the printing equipment from Apcar and launched The Straits Times with Robert Carr Woods, Sr., an English journalist from Bombay as editor. The paper was founded as The Straits Times and Singapore Journal of Commerce on 15 July 1845.
The Straits Times was launched as an eight-page weekly, published at 7 Commercial Square using a hand-operated press. The subscription fee then was Sp.$1.75 per month. As editor, Woods sought to distinguish The Straits Times from The Singapore Free Press by including humour, short stories, and foreign news, and by making use of regular steamship services carrying mail that launched shortly before The Straits Times was launched. Historian Mary Turnbull disputes this account of The Straits Times' founding, saying that it was unlikely an Armenian merchant would have wanted to find an English-language newspaper, particularly given the presence of the more established Singapore Free Press. In September 1846, the paper was given to Woods outright because the press proved unprofitable to run and Moses was unable to sell it. The paper struggled with a lack of subscribers and newsworthy items to coverage. Woods covered the financial deficit by using the printing press for other projects, including the first directory of Singapore, The Straits Times Almanack, Calendar and Directory, published in 1846.
The Straits Times
The Straits Times is an English language broadsheet daily newspaper. It is the most widely-circulated and oldest surviving newspaper in Singapore. The paper was established on 15 July 1845 by Armenian businessman Catchick Moses and was originally known as The Straits Times and Singapore Journal of Commerce. The Straits Times is currently owned by Singapore Press Holdings. This particular edition of the Straits Times is significant as it is the first Straits Times edition of the 21st century.
Reflections on turning 170 today 15 Jul 2015
The paper was first published on 15 July 1845
There are no words to express my astonishment at receiving yesterday's copy of The Straits Times.
My immediate response on browsing through the bumper issue was to message my friends to get a copy before they ran out.
The 60-page special on the 170 years of The Straits Times ("Living History") was certainly a gift to all Singaporeans, and a timely one for the nation's 50th birthday.
14/07/2008
The 57th Miss Universe 2008
Miss Universe 2008
Dayana Mendoza of Venezuela
Miss Universe 2008 was the 57th Miss Universe pageant, held at the Crown Convention Center in Nha Trang, Vietnam on July 14, 2008. This was the first time that the Miss Universe pageant was broadcast in 1080i High-definition.
At the end of the event, Riyo Mori of Japan crowned Dayana Mendoza of Venezuela as Miss Universe 2008. It was Venezuela's first victory in twelve years, and the fifth victory of the country in the pageant's history. Contestants from eighty countries and territories competed in this year's pageant. The pageant was hosted by Jerry Springer and member of the UK pop group Spice Girls Mel B. American singer-songwriter Lady Gaga performed in this year's pageant.
The competition also featured the debut of the new CAO Fine Jewelry Crown, which was designed by the Phu Nhuan Jewelry Company and Vietnamese-American jewelry designer Rosalina Lydster. The crown is made with 18k white and yellow gold and platinum, with over 1,000 precious stones including 44 carats (8.8 g) of diamonds. The crown is said to be worth $120,000, and will only be awarded in this edition. The Phoenix Mikimoto Crown will still be used by the winner.
Miss Universe 1952 - The first Miss Universe pageant
Armi Kuusela of Finland as Miss Universe 1952
Miss Universe 1952 was the first Miss Universe pageant, held at the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium in Long Beach, California, United States on 28 June 1952.
At the end of the event, actress Piper Laurie crowned Armi Kuusela of Finland as Miss Universe 1952. It was the first victory of Finland in the history of the pageant.
Contestants from 30 countries and territories participated in this year's pageant. The pageant was hosted by Bob Russell. The competition featured the Romanov Imperial Nuptial Crown, which was previously owned by a Russian czar. The crown was said to have 1,535 diamonds, 300 carats, and was valued at $500,000.
related:
15/04/2008
The Sinking of the Titanic 15 April 1912
The Titanic
Titanic departing Southampton on 10 April 1912
RMS Titanic was a British passenger and mail carrying ocean liner, operated by the White Star Line, that sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 as a result of striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, United States. Of the estimated 2,224 passengers and crew aboard, about 1,500 died, making it the deadliest sinking of a single ship up to that time. The disaster drew public attention, spurred major changes in maritime safety regulations and inspired many artistic works.
RMS Titanic was the largest ship afloat at the time she entered service and the second of three Olympic-class ocean liners built for the White Star Line. She was built by the Harland and Wolff shipbuilding company in Belfast. Thomas Andrews Jr., the chief naval architect of the shipyard, died in the disaster. Titanic was under the command of Captain Edward John Smith, who went down with the ship. The ocean liner carried some of the wealthiest people in the world, as well as hundreds of emigrants from the British Isles, Scandinavia, and elsewhere throughout Europe, who were seeking a new life in the United States and Canada. The first-class accommodation was designed to be the pinnacle of comfort and luxury, with a gymnasium, swimming pool, smoking rooms, high-class restaurants and cafes, a Victorian-style Turkish bath, and hundreds of opulent cabins. A high-powered radiotelegraph transmitter was available for sending passenger "marconigrams" and for the ship's operational use. Titanic had advanced safety features, such as watertight compartments and remotely activated watertight doors, contributing to her reputation as "unsinkable".
Titanic was equipped with 16 lifeboat davits, each capable of lowering three lifeboats, for a total of 48 boats. Despite this capacity of 48, the ship was only equipped with a total of 20 lifeboats. Fourteen were regular lifeboats, two were cutter lifeboats, and four were collapsible and proved difficult to launch while she was sinking. Together, the 20 lifeboats could hold 1,178 people—about half the number of passengers on board, and one-third of the number of passengers the ship could have carried at full capacity (a number consistent with the maritime safety regulations of the era). The British Board of Trade's regulations required 14 lifeboats for a ship 10,000 tonnes. Titanic carried six more than required, allowing 338 extra people room in lifeboats. When the ship sank, the lifeboats that had been lowered were only filled up to an average of 60%.
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