"All over the country on Thursday, fireworks will light up the sky. In many places, those fireworks will come with a patriotic soundtrack — one that wouldn't be complete without "The Star-Spangled Banner." The song officially became America's national anthem in 1931, but it's been around since the early 19th century."

"Author Steve Vogel explores the story behind that anthem in Through The Perilous Fight, which details the end of the War of 1812. He tells NPR's David Greene about the Washington lawyer who wrote the song and why it took so long for it to become the national anthem."