On Sept. 13, 1814, during a British attack on Fort McHenry, Md., Francis Scott Key wrote the lyrics of "The Star-Spangled Banner."

Visitors tour Fort McHenry, the site of the September 13-14, 1814, battle against the British that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the "Star Spangled Banner," in Baltimore on June 18, 2011. File Photo by Roger L. Wollenberg/UPI UPI Galveston resident Calvin Wehrle (C) makes his way back to his vehicle after checking out debris that came onto I-45 North from Hurricane Ike in Galveston, Texas on September 13, 2008. File Photo by Aaron M. Sprecher/UPI UPI On September 13, 1948, Margaret Chase Smith became the first woman to be serve in both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate, representing Maine as a Republican. File Photo courtesy of the U.S. Senate UPI On September 13, 1996, rapper Tupac Shakur died in Los Vegas after he was shot in an ambush on September 7. File Photo by Ezio Petersen/UPI UPI

Today is Saturday, Sept. 13, the 256th day of 2025 with 109 to follow.

The moon is waning. Morning stars are Jupiter, Mercury, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus and Venus. Evening stars are Mars, Mercury, Neptune and Saturn.

Those born on this date are under the sign of Virgo. They include military doctor Walter Reed in 1851; entrepreneur Milton Hershey in 1857; Gen. John "Black Jack" Pershing in 1860; writer Roald Dahl in 1916; musician Mel Torme in 1925; artist Robert Indiana in 1928; actor Barbara Bain in 1931 (age 94); etiquette expert Judith Martin in 1938 (age 87); actor Richard Kiel in 1939; Nobel Peace Prize laureate/ex-Costa Rican President Óscar Arias in 1940 (age 86); musician David Clayton-Thomas (Blood, Sweat & Tears) in 1941 (age 84); musician Peter Cetera (Chicago) in 1944 (age 81); actor Jacqueline Bisset in 1944 (age 81); Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka in 1948 (age 77); musician/actor Nell Carter in 1948; Salva Kiir Mayardit, president of South Sudan, in 1951 (age 74); actor Jean Smart in 1951 (age 74); musician Randy Jones (Village People) in 1952 (age 73); musician Don Was (Was (Not Was)/The Doors) in 1952 (age 73); Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., president of the Philippines, in 1957 (68); musician Dave Mustaine (Megadeath) in 1961 (age 64); TV personality Tavis Smiley in 1964 (age 61); comedian/actor Jeff Ross Lifschultz in 1965 (age 60); actor Louis Mandylor in 1966 (age 59); musician Stephen Perkins (Porno for Pyros/Jane's Addiction) in 1967 (age 58); U.S. Track and Field Hall of Fame member Michael Johnson in 1967 (age 57); actor Roger Howarth in 1968 (age 57); filmmaker/actor Tyler Perry in 1969 (age 56); fashion designer Stella McCartney in 1971 (age 54); musician Joe Don "J.D." Rooney (Rascal Flatts) in 1975 (age 50); musician Fiona Apple in 1977 (age 48); musician/producer Swizz Beatz in 1978 (age 47); actor Ben Savage in 1980 (age 45); musician Niall Horan (One Direction) in 1993 (age 32); actor Lili Reinhart in 1996 (age 29).

...

On this date in history:

In 1814, during a British attack on Fort McHenry, Md., Francis Scott Key wrote the lyrics of "The Star-Spangled Banner."

In 1940, the chapel at Buckingham Palace was destroyed in the German Blitz on London. The palace came under attack nine times during World War II. Ten days later, King George VI condemned the "wickedness against which we fight."

In 1948, Margaret Chase Smith became the first woman to serve in both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate, representing Maine as a Republican.

In 1971, New York state forces stormed and regained control of Attica state prison in a riot that killed 43 people.

In 1993, in a ceremony at the White House, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat signed a declaration of principles for Palestinian self-rule.

In 1996, rapper Tupac Shakur died in Los Vegas after he was shot in an ambush on Sept. 7.

In 2001, U.S. carriers were allowed to resume flights and airports were under strict new security requirements in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

In 2007, the U.N. General Assembly, with the United States dissenting, approved a measure outlawing discrimination against Indigenous peoples. The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was a watershed -- but non-binding -- document outlining individual and collective rights to culture, identity, language, employment, health, education, and other issues.

In 2008, Hurricane Ike battered Galveston and Houston with heavy rain and 110-mph winds, forcing about 1 million people to flee and leaving millions without electricity. Officials later said deaths caused by Ike included more than 100 in the United States and about 75 in Haiti.

...

In 2013, an Indian court convicted four men on charges they raped and murdered a 23-year-old student on a private bus in Delhi -- a December 2012 attack that caused nationwide outrage. They were sentenced to death.

In 2024, Jane's Addiction band members Perry Farrell and Dave Navarro got into an on-stage scuffle at a concert in Boston, abruptly ending the show. The band, which was touring together in full for the first time since 2010, canceled the tour days later.

A thought for the day: French philosopher Michel de Montaigne said, "There is no conversation more boring than the one where everybody agrees."