Who wrote the poem later adapted as the lyrics of the United States national anthem?

Francis Scott Key wrote the poem later adapted as the lyrics of the United States national anthem.

Key composed “The Star-Spangled Banner” after witnessing the British bombardment of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812. On September 14, 1814, he saw the large American flag still flying over the fort after the night attack and began writing verses about the sight.

The poem was initially titled “Defence of Fort M’Henry.” Its words were set to the melody of “To Anacreon in Heaven,” an English song associated with the Anacreontic Society. The combination became widely popular in the United States during the nineteenth century.

Congress made “The Star-Spangled Banner” the national anthem on March 3, 1931. Key wrote four stanzas, but public performances usually use only the first. The original flag that inspired him is preserved at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.