Independent Singapore turned 50 Sunday with fireworks, a massive military parade and a tribute to late founding leader Lee Kuan Yew, who helped transform it from colonial backwater to regional powerhouse. Lee, the authoritarian ruler who died in March aged 91, was honoured with a video on his life and times at the beginning of the annual National Day Parade, the first he had ever missed.
The crowd - decked in the red and white Singapore colours and many in tears - greeted the tribute with a robust round of applause. The festivities that followed featured about 2,000 marchers, 50 military aircraft, 177 tanks and other security hardware, underscoring the Singapore military's status as the best armed in the region.
One of the highlights was a fly-past by a Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 superjumbo adorned with the republic's red-and-white flag featuring a crescent and four stars. SIA became the first airline world-wide to operate the double-decker plane in October 2007.
The crowd also cheered when 20 F-16 fighter jets formed the number "50" as they roared overhead. Minutes later, helicopters including Apache attack choppers flew by. Battle tanks led the mobile column that showcased the city-state's powerful military arsenal, including ground-to-air missiles and drones.
Around 250,000 spectators were predicted to watch the celebrations centred on the historic Padang waterfront district, while thousands more at home followed the live broadcast which ended with a prolonged fireworks display.
The procession was the high point of a jubilee year largely choreographed and funded by the government, which is expected to call a general election soon to extend its rule against a divided opposition. Singapore became a republic on August 9, 1965, when it was ejected from the Malay federation following a stormy two-year union - to face an uncertain future in a turbulent region.
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