How the containerisation era leapfrogged S'pore into the super-port league!

In this SG50 year, Singapore's half-century success as a viable city-state will be much pored over. No one should dispute the game-changing part played by the era of ship containerisation and -- just as importantly -- the vision of our cautious policy makers in seizing the moment and transforming Singapore's ports into dedicated container ports. It was a brave decision in newly independent Singapore that was also facing Britain's East of Suez withdrawal, since traditionally handled ports provided plenty of (albeit menial) jobs while containerisation was very capital intensive and hence not a mass jobs generator.

The story starts with an In The Beginning... in Hoboken, New Jersey, USA:

How Containerisation Shaped The Modern World

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn7IoT_WSRA

The first container ship that arrived here 43 years ago on June 23, 1972, carried just 300 containers. Today's loads can exceed 10,000 standard sized containers! Singapore is poised for the next era in mega container shipping:

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/singapore/how-singapore-s-port/1796336.html

http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/singapore-grows-container-terminal-eyes-mega-ship-demand

PSA put up an ad today in ST (June 23) to commemorate the arrival of that first container ship:

Postscript
As reported in ST (June 24):