Today August 30 is Trinidad & Tobago’s Independence Day. On this day in 1962, the twin island officially declared independence from British rule. On that fateful day in 1962, Trinbagonians raised their national flag for the first time, as seen in today’s Doodle. The flag features a diagonal black stripe and white borders atop a red field. Black represents strength, white symbolizes the equality of people and red stands for the nation’s vitality. Trinbagonians celebrate Independence Day throughout the country. Port of Spain’s Queen’s Park Savannah, the oldest recreational ground in the West Indies, features the biggest parade. Steel drums ring out as bands play calypso music while members of the military march through the heart of the country’s capital. After an annual ceremony where national heroes accept awards, citizens return to the park to watch fireworks splash across the night sky. Happy Independence Day, Trinidad & Tobago!
Trinidad and Tobago was the second Anglophone island to obtain independence preceded by Jamaica on August 6, 1962.