Which song became the official U.S. national anthem in 1931, a tradition recalled during America250?

“The Star-Spangled Banner” became the official U.S. national anthem in 1931.

Francis Scott Key wrote the lyrics after witnessing the British bombardment of Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore on September 14, 1814. His poem, originally titled “Defence of Fort M’Henry,” was set to the melody of “The Anacreontic Song,” a popular British tune by John Stafford Smith.

The song became widely known during the nineteenth century, but it was not officially the national anthem at first. The U.S. Navy recognized it for official use in 1889, while “Hail, Columbia” and “My Country, ’Tis of Thee” also functioned as patriotic national songs.

Congress passed a resolution making “The Star-Spangled Banner” the official anthem on March 3, 1931, and President Herbert Hoover signed it the next day. Although the anthem officially includes four stanzas, public performances usually sing only the first. The song’s 1814 origins connect it to the early national history remembered during America250.