Who was Francis Scott Key, the man collapsed Baltimore bridge is named after?

The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, has collapsed after being struck by a container ship in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Speaking to CNN, the director of communications of the Baltimore City Fire Department, Kevin Cartwright, described the collapse as a “mass casualty event”, revealing that at least 20 people are believed to have fallen into the water.

Video - Ship collision causes Baltimore bridge collapse:

Who was Francis Scott Key?

The 1.6-mile long, four-lane bridge, which runs across the Patapsco River and is the outermost of three toll crossings of Baltimore’s Harbor, was opened in 1977. It was originally known as the Outer Harbor Crossing before being named after Francis Scott Key, an American lawyer and amateur poet from Frederick, Maryland.

Wrote lyrics to “Star-Spangled Banner”

Key is best known as the author of the words to the US national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner”. The lyrics come from a poem he penned on 14 September 1814, after witnessing American troops’ defence of Fort McHenry, located in Baltimore’s harbour, against British forces during the War of 1812.

When he saw the American flag still flying over Fort McHenry - a signal of US victory - he was inspired to write the poem “Defence of Fort M’Henry”, which became the lyrics to the country’s anthem.

“The Star-Spangled Banner” was officially adopted as the US’s national anthem by a joint resolution passed by Congress in 1931.