The Stars and Stripes Forever is John Phillip Sousa’s most famous march. The Stars and Stripes Forever is in fact, by act of Congress, The National March of the United States of America. Sousa composed The Stars and Stripes Forever  while he was in Europe on Christmas Day 1896 on hearing of the death of David Blakely, the manager of the Sousa Band. Sousa tells of the creation of The Stars and Stripes Forever in his autobiography:

"Here came one of the most vivid incidents of my career. As the vessel (the Teutonic) steamed out of the harbor I was pacing on the deck, absorbed in thoughts of my manager's death and the many duties and decisions which awaited me in New York. Suddenly, I began to sense a rhythmic beat of a band playing within my brain. Throughout the whole tense voyage, that imaginary band continued to unfold the same themes, echoing and re-echoing the most distinct melody. I did not transfer a note of that music to paper while I was on the steamer, but when we reached shore, I set down the measures [of The Stars and Stripes Forever] that my brain-band had been playing for me, and not a note of it has ever changed."

The Stars and Stripes Forever was a success, and Sousa is said to have played at almost every concert until his death. It is a little know fact that Sousa also wrote lyrics for The Stars and Stripes Forever, though they never became popular.

The Stars and Stripes Forever is featured in many episodes of the TV versions of the comic strip hero Popeye.