Singapore celebrated its fiftieth birthday on Saturday. The tiny nation became an independent country on August 8th, 1965. The climax of the celebrations was the largest fireworks display ever seen in Singapore. Tens of thousands of people gathered in the streets to celebrate. The country has been counting down to this anniversary since New Year's Eve. There have been hundreds of events to mark the fifty years since independence. Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong gave a special National Day message to the nation. He said that Singapore could look forward to "new peaks" ahead. He added that: "The journey ahead is uncharted. But we must press on, because we aspire to do better for ourselves and our children."