Nelson Mandela celebrated in NYC

Nelson Mandela was honored in tributes from South Africa to Manhattan on Thursday, as the anti-apartheid leader turned 95 in the hospital and his doctors reported he was "steadily improving."

South Africa has been on edge since the former president was hospitalized on June 8 with recurring lung problems that kept him in critical condition.

In New York on "Mandela Day," a video installation using quotes by Mandela ran on a loop at the Times Square Visitor Center for much of the day. It was displayed on Times Square's giant screens at night.

Meanwhile, volunteers observed an international day of service by helping to restore beaches in the Rockaways that were damaged by Sandy.