Which country’s national anthem is “The Star-Spangled Banner”?

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

The lyrics were written by Francis Scott Key in 1814 after he saw the American flag flying over Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812. Key’s poem was first published as “Defence of Fort M’Henry.”

The melody was adapted from “The Anacreontic Song,” an English drinking song associated with the Anacreontic Society. Congress made “The Star-Spangled Banner” the official United States national anthem on March 3, 1931.

People often know only the first stanza, but Key wrote four stanzas. The surviving flag that inspired the poem is preserved at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. The anthem’s unusually wide vocal range also makes it technically demanding for singers.