What is the national anthem of the United States?

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

The lyrics began as a poem by Francis Scott Key, written on September 14, 1814, after he witnessed the British bombardment of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812. Seeing the American flag still flying above the fort inspired Key to write “Defence of Fort M’Henry,” which later became known by the flag’s nickname, “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

The poem was set to the melody of “The Anacreontic Song,” a British song associated with composer John Stafford Smith. The tune was already familiar in the United States, helping Key’s lyrics spread quickly. The complete poem has four stanzas, but public performances almost always use only the first.

The song was officially adopted as the national anthem in 1931, when President Herbert Hoover signed Congress’s resolution. It is sometimes confused with “America the Beautiful,” “God Bless America,” or “My Country, ’Tis of Thee,” all well-known patriotic songs but not the official anthem. The anthem’s high vocal range also makes it notoriously difficult to sing.