Today in History

November 06, 1854
The March King
John Philip Sousa is born in Washington DC, to parents of Bavarian and Portuguese ancestry. At age 13 Sousa tries to run away from home to join a circus band, and his father, a trombone player, enlists him in the US Marine Band. Sousa develops a lifelong fascination with military music and marches. He founds his own civilian orchestra in 1892 and plays to packed houses across Europe and America, where people flock to hear compositions by "The March King." Not limited to marches, Sousa also writes 15 operettas and more than 70 vocal works. He dies suddenly after a rehearsal in 1932, aged 77. His most famous work, "Stars and Stripes Forever," is still played every year in Washington DC on July 4.



Today's Feature History Article

Star-Spangled Banner

Star-Spangled Banner Back on Display

After a decade’s conservation, the flag that inspired the National Anthem returns to its place of honor on the National Mall




 



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