On Sept. 13, 1814, during a British attack on Fort McHenry, Md., Francis Scott Key wrote the lyrics of "The Star-Spangled ...

On September 13th, 1814, lawyer and poet Francis Scott Key was negotiating the release of American prisoners aboard a British ship when he became a prisoner, himself. Held through the night, he ...

I am speaking, of course, of the “Star-Spangled Banner,” the American national anthem. Francis Scott Key wrote it on ...

Music history professor Mark Clague describes the national anthem as a song of victory, relief, hope, and pride for the country. Team USA brought home 126 medals—including 40 gold, 44 silver and 42 ...

On March 3, 1931, President Herbert Hoover signed the bill making “The Star-Spangled Banner” the official national anthem of the United States. The anthem’s lyrics were written by Francis Scott Key, ...

Removed from exhibit in 1998 for a conservation project that cost about $7 million, the Star-Spangled Banner, as it had become known, returns to center stage this month with the reopening of the ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. On March 3, 1931, President Herbert Hoover signed a bill making "The Star-Spangled Banner" the national anthem of the United ...

To mark the 250th anniversary of the United States, we’re cataloging 25 objects that define the country’s history. “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Many of us put our hands on our hearts and try to croak ...

The Smithsonian has been an American institution since 1846, through the Civil War, two world wars, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm and other great challenges. We don’t like to close our doors—ever. We ...

Jimi Hendrix playing his guitar during his set at the Woodstock Music and Art Fair. Playing with Jimi Hendrix is Billy Cox. Photo by Henry Diltz/Corbis via Getty By the time Jimi Hendrix took the ...

A typewriter Maya Angelou used for decades is on display at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, near the original Star-Spangled Banner. A curator explains why it belongs there.