WRITER

Francis Scott Key

1779 - 1843

Photo of Francis Scott Key

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Francis Scott Key (August 1, 1779 – January 11, 1843) was an American lawyer, author, and poet from Frederick, Maryland, best known as the author of the text of the American national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner". Key observed the British bombardment of Fort McHenry in 1814 during the War of 1812. He was inspired upon seeing the American flag still flying over the fort at dawn and wrote the poem "Defence of Fort M'Henry"; it was published within a week with the suggested tune of the popular song "To Anacreon in Heaven". Read more on Wikipedia

Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Francis Scott Key has received more than 3,573,527 page views. His biography is available in 31 different languages on Wikipedia. Francis Scott Key is the 3,806th most popular writer (down from 3,407th in 2019), the 4,868th most popular biography from United States (down from 4,489th in 2019) and the 404th most popular American Writer.

Memorability Metrics

  • 3.6M

    Page Views (PV)

  • 57.51

    Historical Popularity Index (HPI)

  • 31

    Languages Editions (L)

  • 2.10

    Effective Languages (L*)

  • 4.67

    Coefficient of Variation (CV)

Among WRITERS

Among writers, Francis Scott Key ranks 3,806 out of 7,302. Before him are Eric Ambler, Zofia Kossak-Szczucka, Teffi, Kočo Racin, François Cavanna, and Torgny Lindgren. After him are Gennadius of Massilia, Alexander Volkov, Jane Wilde, Ramiro de Maeztu, Henry Adams, and Masha Gessen.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1779, Francis Scott Key ranks 26. Before him are George, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Infanta María Amalia of Spain, Adam Müller, Ali-Morad Khan Zand, Filippo Paulucci, and Jean Coralli. After him are Louis de Freycinet, Augustin Saint-Hilaire, Johann Schweigger, Tabitha Babbitt, Washington Allston, and José Bernardo de Tagle y Portocarrero, 4th Marquess of Torre Tagle. Among people deceased in 1843, Francis Scott Key ranks 23. Before him are Jakob Friedrich Fries, Ippolito Rosellini, Miguel Ricardo de Álava, Casimir Delavigne, John Trumbull, and Julius Vincenz von Krombholz. After him are Kazim Rashti, John Biscoe, Hirata Atsutane, Sylvestre François Lacroix, Johann Natterer, and Friedrich von Adelung.

Others Born in 1779

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Others Deceased in 1843

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In United States

Among people born in United States, Francis Scott Key ranks 4,868 out of 20,380. Before him are Gregory Itzin (1948), John Stamos (1963), Mark St. John (1956), Frank Gorshin (1933), Maggie Grace (1983), and Bobby Seale (1936). After him are Jenette Goldstein (1960), Edmund Randolph (1753), Kristen Bell (1980), Todd Phillips (1970), Daniel Kirkwood (1814), and Woody Herman (1913).

Others born in United States

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Among WRITERS In United States

Among writers born in United States, Francis Scott Key ranks 404. Before him are John Gray (1951), Hal Clement (1922), Marilyn French (1929), Brandon Sanderson (1975), Gloria Vanderbilt (1924), and Charles Grandison Finney (1792). After him are Henry Adams (1838), David Brin (1950), James Russell Lowell (1819), A. Merritt (1884), Marianne Moore (1887), and Herman Wouk (1915).

American born Writers

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