A song written in 1814 with words composed by Francis Scott Key (1779–1843) and a tune adapted from that of a popular English drinking song, To Anacreon in Heaven. It was officially adopted as the US national anthem in 1931.
The US national anthem, officially adopted in 1931. The words were written in 1814 by Francis Scott Key as a poem originally titled “Defence of Fort M'Henry” and were later put to a tune adapted from a popular English drinking song, “To Anacreon in Heaven.”.