Singapore celebrated its fiftieth birthday. It became independent on August 8th, 1965. The celebrations saw the largest fireworks display ever in Singapore. Thousands of people gathered in the streets. There was a lot of food in the streets: meat, vegetables, fruits, etc. The weather was sunny and only some smoke hid the sun. The country had been counting down to celebrate this day. Hundreds of events marked the fifty-year birthday. Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong  gave a special message to the nation. He said: "We must press on, because we aspire to do better for ourselves."

Singapore has come a long way in the past fifty years. It was very poor but the leadership of founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew made it wealthy. He died earlier this year but there was an empty seat for him at the parade. A woman felt sad that Mr Lee did not live long enough to see the anniversary. She said: "We definitely feel that something is missing this year."

Now Singapore is the world's fourth most important financial centre and the second busiest port.

Independent Singapore was admitted to the United Nations on 21 September 1965, and became a member of the Commonwealth of Nations on 15 October 1965. On 22 December 1965, it became a republic, with Yusof bin Ishak as the republic's first President.

The Republic had to create a sense of national identity and consciousness among a disperate population of immigrants. Singapore's strategy for survival and development has taken advantage of its strategic location and the favourable world economy.