The Star Spangled Banner is an important part of our history and the song was based on an actual flag that flew over Ft. McHenry and taken from a poem written by Francis Scott Key. Key penned the poem during the British bombardment of the fort during the War of 1812. The poem was eventually set to the tune of a British song written by John Stafford Smith, but The Star Spangled Banner did not become the national anthem until a congressional resolution made it so on March 3, 1931.
Below is the flag that inspired the lyrics. It now resides in the National Museum of American History in Washington DC. I had the pleasure of seeing it this past week and here it is. Happy Flag Day – June 14, 2014.
Library of Congress
After viewing the Star Spangled Banner, I visited the Library of Congress. The Main Reading Room in the Library is one of the most striking architectural gems in all of DC. Some of you may recognize it from the movies – J. Edgar or National Treasure. It is stunning in person and is a working reading room in the Library. Below is a panorama of 4 stitched images, taken through a glass barricade above the room. The lighting conditions are very difficult, but I think you get the idea.
DC Area Sights
While in DC, we made the usual rounds and included a trip to Annapolis, Mt. Vernon, Arlington and a good number of the downtown sites. Even got to see the Prez take off in “Marine One” from the south lawn of the White House.
Lockheed SR-71 Speed record – Los Angeles, CA, to Washington, D.C., distance 2,299.7 miles
Average speed 2,144.8 miles per hour
Elapsed time of 64 minutes 20 seconds
pat forwarded the link to me; looks like y’all had fun.
can not believe how grown up mikala looks….a beautiful young lady!
We did have fun and they grow up too fast!