Francis Scott Key’s Birthday – Anniversary

Aug 1, 1779. American attorney, social worker, poet and author of the US national anthem. While on a legal mission, Key was detained on a ship off Baltimore, MD, during the British bombardment of Fort McHenry on the night of Sept 13 14, 1814. Thrilled to see the American flag still flying over the fort at daybreak, Key wrote the poem The Star-SpangledBanner. Printed in the Baltimore American Sept 21, 1814, it was soon popularly sung to the music of an old English tune, Anacreon in Heaven. Itdid not become the official US national anthem until 117 years later when, on Mar 3, 1931, President Herbert Hoover signed into law an act for that purpose. Key was born at Frederick County, MD, and died at Baltimore, Jan 11, 1843.