NATIONAL STARS AND STRIPES DAY | "The Stars and Stripes Forever" Day is observed on the anniversary of the first public performance of "The Stars and Stripes Forever," and is thus dedicated to the march. The march was first performed on May 14, 1897, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the occasion of the unveiling of a statue of George Washington. The Stars and Stripes Forever is a song by American composer John Philip Sousa and is considered a quintessential example of the composer's music. Sous