Today in History: Happy National Day!

A CH-47 Chinook helicopter flies
the Singaporean flag across the sky
during NDP. This is a popular sight
to see during the festivities

I'm sorry that this post came out a little bit late, but I have been spending the whole day learning to play the ukulele! I spent this Singaporean National Day learning the uke! (I am Singaporean if you were wondering or will wonder why I am writing so much on the topic). Singapore is a busy, small island city-state directly under Malaysia. It's not the jungle-like-island that it was when Sir Stamford Raffles saw when he landed on January 28th, 1819, but a bustling country housing nearly 6 million. Though today is National Day in Singapore, there was still another important event that happened first. 

On August 6th, 1945, Hiroshima, Japan is hit by the world's first atomic bomb. Today at 1:56 am on August 9th, 1945, a second atomic bomb hits Japan in Nagasaki. The deviation of the first bomb did not convince the Japanese War Council to surrender, prompting the United States to drop a second atomic bomb nicknamed the "Fat Man" to drop. The US had already planned to drop "Fat Man" on August 11th, but expected bad weather triggered the early drop. The second bomb finally inclined Emperor Hirohito of Japan to declare unconditional surrender, which was publicly acknowledged on August 14, 1945. 

Beautiful fireworks light up the sky
during Singapore's National Day Parade

Happy National Day! At the time of me writing this post, the 2013 National Day Parade has already concluded, but August 9th is still a day Singaporeans feel pride in. August 9th, National Day, is like Independence Day in the United States, a day for Singaporeans to celebrate independence. On September 16th, 1963, Singapore became a part of Malaysia as part of a merger that was thought to help the economy. Nearly two years later, Singapore decided to declare independence abruptly. In 48 years, a small island that had an unemployment rate of nearly 12% boomed into one of the world's major port and business city. Every National Day, Singapore celebrates by hosting the National Day Parade either at the National Stadium, Padang, or the The Float at Marina Bay. I have been to the parade before and have watched the broadcast. Weeks before August 9th, there would be National Day songs and themes that would appear everywhere. These songs and themes are changed every year and gets everyone pumped up for the NDP! Listening to the songs always remind me of Singapore and the parade, but going to the parade is a unique experience! There is always a fun pack that is filled with food, drinks, and other awesome goodies that make me feel good that it is National Day! I hope for the best to everyone on this 48th year of Singapore's independence! 

President Gerald Ford
being sworn in as
President of the United States

Though this is National Day, it is also the day that 37th US President Richard Nixon formally resigns from being president in 1974. Nixon announced the day before that he will be stepping down from his position at noon. Soon after, Nixon's vice-president, Gerald Ford, was sworn in as president. Ford is not only the first vice-president and president not to be elected, but also the only president to assume presidency upon a predecessor's resignation as of writing this post. This would be Ford's only inauguration, as he lost to Jimmy Carter while running for president in 1976.