Defenders' Day

Defenders' Day

September 12Defenders' Day, a legal holiday in Maryland, celebrates the anniversary of the battle of North Point. The battle took place near Baltimore on September 12, 1814; two days later, the unsuccessful British attack on Baltimore's Fort McHenry inspired Francis Scott Key to jot down the words of "The Star-Spangled Banner." For this reason the two events are celebrated more or less in conjunction on September 12, a day that is sometimes referred to as National Anthem Day .
A 56-foot monument at Calvert and Fayette Streets in Baltimore commemorates the 1814 battle, and the star-shaped Fort McHenry is a national monument and an historic shrine. Defenders' Day is celebrated with a number of patriotic events, including an annual mock bombardment of the fort on the weekend nearest September 12.
CONTACTS:
Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine
National Park Service
End of E. Fort Ave.
Baltimore, MD 21230
410-962-4290; fax: 410-962-2500
www.nps.gov
Maryland Secretary of State
State House
Annapolis, MD 21401
888-874-0013 or 410-974-5521; fax: 410-974-5190
www.sos.state.md.us
SOURCES:
AmerBkDays-2000, p. 640
AnnivHol-2000, p. 153
DictDays-1988, p. 30
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