Who wrote the lyrics of the United States national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner”?

Francis Scott Key wrote the lyrics of the United States national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Key composed the poem in September 1814 after witnessing the British bombardment of Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812. At dawn, he saw a large American flag still flying over the fort, inspiring the poem’s central image.

The original poem was titled “Defence of Fort M'Henry.” It was printed as a broadside in Baltimore in September 1814 and was soon fitted to the melody of “Anacreon in Heaven,” an older English song associated with composer John Stafford Smith. Key wrote the words; he did not compose the music.

The song became popular during the nineteenth century but was not officially designated the national anthem until March 3, 1931, when Congress passed legislation signed by President Herbert Hoover. Although the song has four verses, public performances usually use only the first.