What is it exactly that makes an anthem? Is it the lyrics, the music, the writer? When you think of anthems, one really big one probably comes to mind. We’ve heard Francis Scott Key’s “Star Spangled ...

History | Updated: July 1, 2024 | Originally Published: March 1, 2007 How the flag that flew proudly over Fort McHenry in September 1814 made its way to the Smithsonian Cate Lineberry; Updated by ...

“The Star-Spangled Banner” is the national anthem of the United States. By the time the song officially became the country’s anthem in 1931, it had been one of America’s most popular patriotic tunes ...

A 1934 postcard of the original Star-Spangled Banner which at the time was hanging in the United States National Museum, now the Arts and Industries Building. (Smithsonian Archives image) Today, more ...

This story is part of American Anthem, a yearlong series on songs that rouse, unite, celebrate and call to action. Find more at NPR.org/Anthem. This week marked one ...