File photos
(1) 1981: All and sundry watch a marching band in Sam Sharpe Square, Montego Bay, during the proclamation of city status.
(2) Governor-General, Sir Florizel Glasspole, inspecting a guard of honour in Sam Sharpe Square, Montego Bay.
(3) A section of the huge throng in Sam Sharpe Square for the city's celebration.

Every day until August 6, The Gleaner looks back at significant milestones that have helped shape the nation. Don't miss this nostalgic journey.

1981: Montego Bay comes of age

Montego Bay, the capital of St. James, was proclaimed a city by Governor-General, Sir Florizel Glasspole, on May 1, 1981, at a ceremony in Sam Sharpe Square, which was festooned with buntings.

The occasion was marked with ceremony and revelry - a 21-gun salute by the Jamaica Defence Force, a fly past by the air wing and appropriate martial music.

Other activities

Complementing the official ceremonies were beauty contests, fashion shows, a song competition and sporting activities.

There was also an exhibition of old maps, photographs, letters, documents and books documenting the growth and development of Montego Bay since the 18th century.

Montego Bay was first accorded city status on May 1, 1795 when the corporation of St. James and Montego Bay were established.

However, this was withdrawn in 1885 when parochial reforms in the aftermath of the 1865 Morant Bay uprising were introduced.

From a village in the 17th century, Montego Bay had grown into a bustling township in the 20th century based on a booming tourist industry.