who wrote the “star spangled banner?”

The Star-Spangled Banner was written by Francis Scott Key. He penned the poem, originally titled Defence of Fort M'Henry, in 1814 after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812. The poem was set to the tune of a popular British song, “To Anacreon in Heaven,” and over time it became known as The Star-Spangled Banner, eventually becoming the United States national anthem.