The Star-Spangled Banner began as a poem written by Francis Scott Key, a Washington lawyer, after he watched the British bombardment of Fort McHenry at Baltimore during the War of 1812. When the smoke cleared the next morning and he saw the American flag still flying, he composed verses that were first printed as Defence of Fort M'Henry. They were set to the melody of a popular English song, To Anacreon in Heaven, and the new version soon gained fame under its better-known title. The US Navy used it from the late nineteenth century, and Congress made it the official national anthem in 1931.
Before and after
- from 7 July 1813 to 8 September 1813Siege of San Sebastián
- 5 October 1813Battle of the Thames
- 10 October 1813Birth of Giuseppe Verdi
- 12 October 1813Treaty of Gulistan
- 1814Publication of The Star-Spangled Banner
- from 1814 to 1866Electorate of Hesse
- 14 January 1814Treaty of Kiel
- 25 February 1814Birth of Taras Shevchenko
- 10 April 1814Battle of Toulouse
More in Art, literature & culture
- 1792Publication of Dream of the Red Chamber
- 21 February 1848Publication of The Communist Manifesto
- 18 September 1851Founding of The New York Times
- 1857Rise of Symbolism
- 28 December 1895The Lumiere brothers hold the first public film screening
- 1909Rise of Futurism
The era
This moment belongs to the Industrial era (1760 CE to 1914 CE), steam, factories and revolutions. You can also browse everything in the 19th century.