Celebrating Old Glory on the 200th Anniversary of Its Song-- Part 1: The "Star-Spangled Banner"

From the June 1-7 American Profile Magazine "Old Glory: Celebrate the Stars and Stripes on Flag Day" by Vicki Cox.

"Over the years, several illustrious U.S. flags not only performed their duty but ultimately came to symbolize pivotal moments in American history."

Here are some of them and where you can find them:

THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER, Washington, D.C.

"The 200-year-old flag that inspired the song dates back to the War of 1812, when the massive flag flew triumphantly atop Baltimore's Fort McHenry after U.S. soldiers withstood a 25-hour bombardment by British warships.

"The sight inspired lawyer/author/poet Francis Scott Key to pen the poem that eventually became our national anthem.

"Today, the weathered flag, larger than half a tennis court and viewed by millions each year, rests in a climate-controlled chamber in  in the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.

"'The flag is bigger than visitors expect,' says Jeff Brodie, 44, co-author of "The Star-Spangled Banner: The Making of an American Icon.'  "'It is very dramatic.'"

--Cooter