By Steve Owen, Asst. News Dir.

Jamaica turns 50 today!

It really is amazing how far this country has come in such a short period of time.

Just think about just how big the Jamaica brand is around the world for such a small country.

Everyone knows about Bob Marley, the music, and the beautiful beaches.

But what about Capt. Jack Sparrow??

We visited Port Royal today.

You may not recognize the name, but Port Royal was once was a haven for pirates and privateers -- home to the most famous pirates, such as Blackbeard and Anne Bonny.

At the time, Port Royal was called "the richest and wickedest city in the world."

The movie series and Disney ride "Pirates of the Caribbean" were based on Port Royal.

The sad part is, you would never know that now.

What we found today was rundown buildings, barefoot kids playing in dirty water -- poverty.

You probably haven't heard the connection between Jamaica and Capt. Jack because it was Disney and not Jamaica that jumped on the legend and made millions.

With a little bit of investment, the Jamaican government could turn this place into a little Key West, complete with tales of pirates and naval battles.

Jamaica has done a great job selling other parts of its history on the worldwide stage. Here's hoping they can make Port Royal great again.

Aug. 6 - 2:00 p.m.

By Jason Martinez

This should seriously be called "Pirates Town." This is the birthplace of Jamaica. At one time, Port Royal was the capital city of Jamaica .

PHOTOS: Jamaica Day 4

The Spanish settled here and eventually gave up control of the island to the British in the 1700's. Walking through the town today, it feels like history is standing still. Fire cannons and legendary tales of pirates are the foundation of this town. When you see pictures, it's clearly run down and hit hard by poverty....but as you stand on this land, you can *feel* the history of piracy. If Port Royal sounds familiar to you, that's because they say the Pirates of the Caribbean concept was inspired by Port Royal although the movies weren't filmed here. It's amazing to stand on the soil of an entire country's beginnings.

We're off to Kingston to check out the Independence party. See you tonight at 11!

Aug. 5 - 9:30 p.m.

By Steve Owen, Asst. News Dir.

I will never forget what I did today.

I had the privilege to watch the 100m Olympic final in what's known as Kingston's Times Square. It's called Halfway Tree.