Special Google Doodle to mark Singapore Bicentennial

SINGAPORE — Googled anything today? Singaporeans visiting the Google homepage on Monday (Jan 28) were greeted with a doodle featuring the Republic’s famed skyline.

This “Singapore Bicentennial” Google Doodle replaces the search engine’s logo on its Singapore homepage, and includes familiar sights such as the Singapore Flyer and Marina Bay Sands, along with the numbers 200 and 700.

The 200 in the doodle refers to Singapore’s bicentennial celebrations this year, which kick off on Monday to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Sir Stamford Raffles’ landing on Jan 28, 1819. The 700 is in reference to the island’s long history prior to Raffles’ arrival.

“We want to remember this occasion with a special Google Doodle of the iconic Singapore city skyline that represents the modernisation of Singapore over the past 700 years,” said Ms Stephanie Davis, country director for Google Singapore.

The Singapore Bicentennial Office’s executive director Gene Tan said he was “pleased to have our very own Google Doodle commemorate the important milestone and the stories of the people who came before us”.

“We hope that these stories will help Singaporeans connect with our country’s history,” he added.

Previous Singapore-specific editions of the Google Doodle in recent years include illustrations created for National Day in 2018, 2016 and 2014, as well as the 2015 general election.