Argentina adopted “Himno Nacional Argentino” as its national anthem in 1813. The Assembly of Year XIII approved the song on 11 May 1813, a date now commemorated in Argentina as National Anthem Day. Vicente López y Planes wrote the lyrics, and Blas Parera composed the music.
The original work was much longer and more militant than the version usually performed today. It reflected the revolutionary atmosphere of the early 1810s, when the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata were fighting to break from Spanish rule. Later practice shortened the anthem and removed verses that were no longer considered suitable for routine official use.
The title is often translated simply as “Argentine National Anthem.” The song should not be confused with Argentina’s patriotic march “Aurora,” which is widely known but has a different status. The anthem’s annual commemorative date makes its 1813 adoption an especially prominent fact in Argentine civic culture.