'The Star-Spangled Banner' became associated with sports at the 1918 World Series thanks to an impromptu rendition during the 7th inning stretch.

The US lacked a national anthem for the first 8 Olympics, with 'The Star-Spangled Banner' technically an unofficial anthem until 1931.

Printers changed the national anthem's name from 'Defence of Fort M'Henry' to 'The Star-Spangled Banner.'

The 'Star-Spangled Banner' is based on a poem written by Francis Scott Key in 1814, while witnessing a battle during the War of 1812.

Read the lyrics for 'The Star-Spangled Banner,' annotated by historians.

'Take Me Out to the Ballgame,' the song that's now a 7th inning tradition at every MLB game, was inspired by a billboard advertisement.

The enduring relevance of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’

Some critics have argued that Key’s past as a slaveholder and his lyrics demeaning slaves mean the country should select a new national anthem. Mark Clague, a professor of musicology, understands that perspective, but suggests Key’s song, despite its warts, is still a fitting anthem.

Boston police told renowned conductor Igor Stravinsky that he had 'tampered' with 'The Star-Spangled Banner' at a performance in 1944.

The US national anthem borrows its melody from 'The Anacreon Song,' a bawdy British tavern song that was popular in the 19th century.

Professional and amateur athletes have used the anthem as an opportunity to protest

Colin Kaepernick’s protests during NFL games weren’t the first instances of athletes using the pregame tradition to make a political statement. This history walks through several similar instances, highlighting several lesser-known instances.

A 2020 poll found that 60% of Americans want 'The Star-Spangled Banner' to remain the national anthem.

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The Star-Spangled Banner was the name of a massive flag at Fort McHenry that Francis Scott Key saw during the Battle of Baltimore.

Marvin Gaye's soulful take on 'The Star-Spangled Banner' at the 1983 NBA All-Star Game turned the national anthem into a slow jam.

The first MLB All-Star Game was designed by a sports journalist who believed the spectacle would boost baseball's reputation during the Great Depression.

Jimi Hendrix's performance of 'The Star-Spangled Banner' at the original Woodstock was considered an artistic protest of the Vietnam War.

In 1968, two American Olympians raised their fists during the anthem to show solidarity with the burgeoning Black Power movement, sparking controversy.

Queen Elizabeth II ordered the US national anthem played at Buckingham Palace in the days after 9/11.

Francis Scott Key initially opposed the War of 1812, the war that eventually inspired him to write the national anthem.

Poet Oliver Wendell wrote an unofficial fifth verse for the anthem

Francis Scott Key’s version features four verses, though only one is usually performed. American poet Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote an additional fifth verse during the Civil War, lamenting the country’s internal division.

The simple melody in 'Auld Lang Syne' has led to the song’s repurposing

In addition to becoming a standard tune to ring in the new year, the song has been reworked as a Dutch soccer anthem, a Japanese standard, and the South Korean national anthem. A significant part of its widespread use is that it has no copyright limitations. It helps, too, that it's simple melody is easy for even the most amateur singers to tackle.

The first Super Bowl halftime show featured marching bands and two men on jetpacks

At Super Bowl I, the halftime show featured college marching bands, a rifle drill team, and two performers flying jetpacks, in an era before music stars and spectacle defined the break.

Thousands of musicians play 'Taps' simultaneously at 3 pm on Memorial Day

Taps Across America launched in 2020 when pandemic closures canceled parades and ceremonies. Tens of thousands of musicians now participate each year, playing the 24-note bugle call from porches and lawns across the country.

Fenway Park is the oldest professional baseball stadium in use

The legendary park was built in 1912 and is considered hallowed ground for baseball fans, along with iconic venues like Yankee Stadium in the Bronx and Wrigley Field in Chicago.

Cricket used to be America's pastime

Before baseball, American football, basketball, or hockey ever organized in the US, there was one sport which could be found up and down the East Coast: cricket. The second-most popular sport in the world, cricket is mostly ignored by Americans, despite its prevalence in early American history. Learn more about the forgotten role cricket played in the US with this article.

Thanksgiving's connection to football began in 1876

It all started with a match between Princeton and Yale in 1876, attended by fewer than 1,000 fans. That competition spawned an annual tradition attracting millions of viewers across college and professional teams.

'Lift Every Voice and Sing' was written to celebrate Abraham Lincoln's birthday, but would go on to become the 'Black national anthem' and a Juneteenth tradition.

See a list of the 30 best performances of the national anthem.

100 years of NFL history in under four minutes

Founded in 1920 in Canton, Ohio, professional football has grown into the premiere sport in the US. Generating more than $20B annually, the NFL gained significant popularity after merging with the American Football League in 1970, a move which among other things established the Super Bowl.

Every city has a song: Music writers identify one tune that represents their hometown, from Chicago to Buenos Aires

Staffers from SPIN magazine wade into the contentious waters of official anthems, making the case for their chosen track, from Chicago's "Tonight, Tonight" by the Smashing Pumpkins to the Bobby Bare rendition of "The Streets of Baltimore."

How baseball shaped Black America during Reconstruction

A cornerstone of the budding Black culture following the Civil War was baseball, with several clubs springing up in Black neighborhoods and leaders like Frederick Douglass cheering on the players, including his son, who played for a team in Washington. This detailed history of the early Black leagues unpacks how the game enhanced the upwardly mobile community—and why that fact led to the segregation of what would become Major League Baseball.

The first Boston Marathon was held the next year

In 1897, the manager of the US Olympic team organized the first Boston Marathon, which featured a field of 15 runners. The race took place on Patriots Day, a holiday commemorating the first battles of the American Revolution.

Americans showed an unprecedented surge of patriotism after 9/11

In the weeks following 9/11, 79% of US adults reported displaying the American flag, and a year later, 62% said they "often felt patriotic" due to the attacks.

Washington State’s flag has appeared on every College GameDay set since 2003

Known as “Ol’ Crimson,” the flag began flying at GameDay through a fan-organized effort to bring national attention to Washington State. Volunteers coordinate weekly to ensure it appears at every live broadcast location.

‘Hang On Sloopy,’ Ohio’s unofficial anthem

The McCoys' 1965 single "Hang On Sloopy" isn't technically about the Buckeye State, but it became a fan favorite after appearing in the Ohio State Marching Band repertoire.

Walt Whitman wrote a poem for the official celebration of America's 100th anniversary, but was not invited to read at the event.

The story behind one infamous World Series moment

“The Bartman Incident” during Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS forever changed the life of Cubs fan Steve Bartman, who quickly descended into anonymity. This 2005 ESPN story attempts to find answers behind the notorious Bartman.

The long history of alcohol and sports

Spectators have long enjoyed alcohol at sporting events, dating back at least to ancient Rome. This article unpacks how companies leveraged this history to make beer a central part of sporting events and masculine culture.

Americans celebrated the end of the Revolutionary War with nationwide toasts

In 1783, citizens celebrated the signing of the Preliminary Articles of Peace with nationwide parties. Across the new country, many made 13 toasts to the 13 states. They also drank to George Washington. One poet in Boston wrote, “Health to his honor I’d freely drink, Had I a glass of wine; And whosoever with me shall think, May mix their toast with mine.”

Liza Minnelli's 'New York, New York' used to play after the Yankees lost

For a time, Minnelli's version of the song was played following defeats. After each Yankees victory, it was Frank Sinatra's version. Ultimately, the team stopped using Minnelli's version, though Sinatra's is still played after every Yankees win.

Before 1920, during the Deadball Era, a single baseball was used throughout a Major League game, leading to a notoriously dirty style of play.

President Bush threw the first pitch at the World Series in New York City less than two months after 9/11.

'Blowin' in the Wind' became a rallying cry for the Civil Rights Movement

The song is based on a spiritual titled "Many Thousand Gone," whose melody Dylan reworked. The result was popularized by the folk trio Peter, Paul, and Mary and from there became an anthem for the growing Civil Rights Movement, culminating in Dylan's appearance at the March on Washington.

Irish music became popular in the US during the 19th century

The influx of Irish immigrants in the mid-1800s, driven by starvation and abysmal employment opportunities, led to a significant Irish-American culture, especially in urban hubs such as New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, and San Francisco.

In 1975, a Major League Baseball clause that kept players legally tied to their teams after retirement was dismantled, creating the modern concept of free agency.

Measuring which nation has the most baseball fans

It's known as America's pastime, but just how devoted are Americans to baseball? FiveThirtyEight outlines several metrics indicating Puerto Rico may have the most devoted fanbase. See how they used an adjusted metric to rank the world's biggest...

Whitney Houston's 1991 Super Bowl rendition is the only recording of the national anthem to reach the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100.

Watch Bruce Springsteen's 1985 performance of Woody Guthrie's 'This Land Is Your Land,' which he calls 'the greatest song ever written about America.'

Woody Guthrie wrote 'This Land Is Your Land' as a sarcastic response to 'God Bless America.'

The Confederate flag that most people recognize was not the national flag

The familiar Confederate flag was actually a battlefield banner; the Confederacy's true national flag, the "Stars and Bars," featured a blue canton with white stars and red-white-red stripes resembling the US flag.

Francis Scott Key was a prominent lawyer before he became known as the writer of the national anthem.

A children's toy inspired the name ‘Super Bowl’

The name “Super Bowl” was coined by AFL founder Lamar Hunt, who casually suggested it in 1966—riffing on his child’s Super Ball toy—after alternatives such as “The Big One” and “AFL-NFL World Championship Game” proved clunky and forgettable. The name was officially adopted for the third championship.