For America's 250th anniversary, what is the official national anthem of the United States?

The official national anthem of the United States is “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

The song's words were written by Francis Scott Key in 1814 after he watched the bombardment of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812. Seeing the American flag still flying the next morning inspired his poem, originally titled “Defence of Fort M'Henry.” The lyrics were later set to the tune of a British song called “To Anacreon in Heaven.”

Although the song became closely associated with national ceremonies and sporting events, it was not officially designated as the national anthem until 1931. President Herbert Hoover signed the legislation on March 4 of that year. The law recognized the composition's words and music together.

Only the first stanza is commonly sung, but all four stanzas officially form the anthem. “My Country, ’Tis of Thee” and “Hail, Columbia” served as important patriotic songs before 1931, but neither is the current national anthem.