Barbie, the blond bombshell with the minuscule waist and long plastic legs, turned 50 on Monday. Barbie fans around the world celebrated their idol's birthday with various activities.

An exhibition of Barbie dolls is held at the pret-a-porter Paris Fair in Paris, France, March 7, 2009. Fifty designers from all over the world created 50 pieces of dresses and accessories for Barbie doll which debuted on March 9, 1959, to celebrate her 50th birthday.[Zhang Yuwei/Xinhua]

The city of Hamburg in northern Germany marked Barbie's big day in style. The birthday cake came in Barbie's favorite color, and a Barbie doll looking like German chancellor Angela Merkel was unveiled at the event.

In Tokyo, Mattel Inc, the world's No. 1 toy company and maker of Barbie, threw a birthday bash for the 50-year-old icon as part of the company's extensive worldwide campaign to promote Barbie.

Candles were lit on Barbie's birthday cake and Japanese girls dressed up in Barbie-inspired outfits formed another highlight of the celebrations.

The famed F.A.O. Schwartz toy store in Manhattan also marked Barbie's 50th birthday.