May 14, 1897: John Philip Sousa Premieres "The Stars and Stripes Forever"

May 14, 1897: "The Stars and Stripes Forever" is first performed, at Willow Grove Park in the Philadelphia suburb of Abington, Pennsylvania, conducted by its composer, John Philip Sousa.

Already known as "The March King," Sousa, perhaps the most famous American of Portuguese descent, claimed that he composed it on Christmas Day, December 25, 1896, aboard an ocean liner, on his way home from a European vacation with his wife. He composed it in his head, and wrote it down on paper after docking in New York.

Historically, in show business, and particularly in the theater and the circus, the piece is called "the Disaster March." In the early 20th Century, when it was common for theaters and circuses to have house bands, this march was a traditional code signaling a life-threatening emergency. It subtly notified personnel of emergency situations and ideally allowed them to organize the audience's exit without causing the chaos and panic that an overt declaration might.

Except for impending disaster, circus bands never played the tune under any circumstances. One memorable example of its use was during the Hartford Circus Fire of July 6, 1944, in which at least 168 people were killed.

Sousa conducted the U.S. Army Band in playing "The Star-Spangled Banner" before the 1st game at the original Yankee Stadium, in 1923. He lived until 1932, at the age of 77. In 1987, Congress passed a resolution declaring "The Stars and Stripes Forever" the National March of the United States.

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May 14, 1897 was a Friday. This was a big day in music for another reason: Jazz pioneer Sidney Bechet, a clarinetist, was born.

Football was out of season. Basketball was a new invention, and hockey only existed on an amateur level. But these games were played in baseball's National League:

* The New York Giants lost to the Cincinnati Reds, 6-5 at League Park in Cincinnati. Crosley Field would be built on the same site in 1991.

* The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Washington Senators, 7-1 at Exposition Park in Pittsburgh. Nearly a century later, PNC Park would be built on the same site.

* The Philadelphia Phillies beat the Louisville Colonels, 7-1 at Eclipse Park in Louisville.

* The Baltimore Orioles beat the St. Louis Browns, 11-7 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. The most familiar ballpark of that name was built on the same site in 1909.

* The Cleveland Spiders were supposed to play the Boston Beaneaters at League Park in Cleveland, but were rained out. The game was made up as part of a doubleheader the next day. The Spiders won the opener, 5-1. The Beaneaters won the nightcap, 7-6.

* And the Brooklyn Superbas and the Chicago Colts were not scheduled to play.

After the 1899 season, the Senators, the Colonels, the Orioles and the Spiders were disbanded. This helped to make the American League possible, including a new Washington Senators and a new St. Louis Browns. The current Browns had already, by then, become the Cardinals. The Beaneaters eventually became the Braves; the Superbas, the Dodgers; and the Colts, the Cubs.