The Star-Spangled Banner began as a poem written by Francis Scott Key in 1814 after witnessing the defence of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812, set to the melody of an earlier British drinking song. It was adopted as the official national anthem of the United States in 1931 and has since become a fixture before sporting events, at military ceremonies and on national holidays. Online, short clips of the anthem are widely reused in patriotic videos, reaction edits and celebratory memes, where its instantly recognisable opening signals American identity in just a few seconds.