The National Museum of American History will commemorate several major milestones in 2014: the 200th anniversary of the Star-Spangled Banner, the country’s most famous flag, and the moment when it signified the survival of the young nation in 1814; the centennial of the First Ladies exhibition at the Smithsonian; and the museum’s 50th birthday.
The museum’s keystone celebration will take place on Flag Day, Saturday, June 14, when the Smithsonian invites Americans around the globe to join Raise It Up! in a worldwide commemoration of the flag and the anthem. Raise it Up! Anthem for America will be a call to millions of Americans to participate in singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” simultaneously, led by a celebrity artist on the National Mall, steps from the original flag that flew over Fort McHenry in 1814. Details will be announced this spring. For more information, the public may visit www.anthemforamerica.si.edu.