In Honor of our Home

Since we live on Frances Scott Key Highway in Keymar, 1 mile from the birthplace of Francis Scott Key, I thought I'd repost this in his honor today.   

It was on this day in 1931 that 'The Star-Spangled  Banner' became the official national anthem of the United States.The lyrics come from a poem  written by Francis Scott Key more than a century before, 'Defence of Fort  McHenry.' He'd spent a night toward the end of the War of 1812 hearing the  British navy bombard Baltimore,  Maryland. The bombardment lasted  25 hours -- and in the dawn's early light, Francis Scott Key emerged to see the U.S. flag still waving over Fort McHenry.  He jotted the poem 'Defence of Fort McHenry' on the back of an  envelope. Then he went to his hotel and made another copy, which was printed in  the Baltimore American a week later. 
The tune for the Star-Spangled  Banner comes from an old British drinking song called 'To Anacreon in  Heaven,' which was very popular at men's social clubs in London during the 1700s. Francis Scott Key  himself did the pairing of the tune to his poem. It was a big hit.
For the next century, a few  different anthems were used at official U.S. ceremonies, including 'My  Country Tis of Thee' and 'Hail Columbia.' The U.S. Navy adopted  'The Star-Spangled Banner' for its officialdom in 1889, and the  presidency did in 1916. But it wasn't until this day in 1931 -- just 80 years  ago -- that Congress passed a resolution and Hoover  signed into law the decree that 'The Star-Spangled Banner' was the  official national anthem of the United States of America. - From The Writer's Almanac for 3/3/11 

So the tune for the Star Spangled Banner was a drinking song.  Makes perfect sense.  :)