The Star-Spangled Banner, originally titled ‘Defence of Fort M’Henry’ was written on this day, 14 September, in 1814 by Francis Scott Key during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812. It became the official US national anthem in 1931.
In its ‘Beyond the Óperencia’ series, Magyar Krónika is looking at the meeting points of America and Hungary, and at Hungarians in America, from penniless peasants to political emigrants and soldiers of fortune. In this section, let us go on with the story of Joseph Pulitzer, whose newspaper played a leading role in stirring up readers in the run-up to the Spanish–American War.
‘Suddenly, a very pretty lady appeared in front of me…And she told me straight out: “On Wednesdays, you’re coming to our folk dance session. My brother will drive you back and forth.” I liked her confidence, and of course, I gladly went—after all, I loved dancing, and I had time for it.’
Leftist MEPs blocked a one-minute silence for assassinated US conservative Charlie Kirk, sparking outrage among Patriots for Europe. Videos showed socialist chair cutting off the tribute, while right-wing MEPs protested. Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán called Kirk’s murder the result of the left’s hate campaign.
‘Kirk made his name in the very arena where conservative ideas are often least welcome: academia. To many progressive students, his campus events provided their first real exposure to conservative arguments; to right-leaning students, he offered both encouragement and a sense of belonging. Yet Kirk’s reach extended far beyond the lecture hall.’
‘A little-known Hungarian photographer, Balthazar Korab…was the one who perceived and conveyed the symbolic meaning in the World Trade Center, as he did in other iconic works of American modernist architecture. He captured a kind of capitalistic grandeur—if one may call it that—that today, when we view these images and cannot help but think of the terrible outcome, feels ominous and oppressive.’
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán paid tribute to slain US conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, blaming his death on the ‘hate-mongering left’. Orbán described Kirk as a ‘defender of faith and freedom’, joining Donald Trump and other conservatives in mourning the 31-year-old Turning Point founder.
Budapest and Toronto will be reconnected by direct flights from June 2026, as Air Canada relaunches its popular service with a 787-9 Dreamliner. Running until late October with four weekly flights, the route is set to serve nearly 48,000 passengers and strengthen ties with Canada’s large Hungarian diaspora.
‘A trauma whose effects would trickle down and have devastating repercussions, especially for those who were in the formative years of their childhood when it happened. A trauma that would transform the way an entire generation would socialize and interact with the world for decades to come.’
Right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, a prolific surrogate of President Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and co-founder of Turning Point USA, has been shot dead at age 31 while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. The suspect is still at large and their identity is not known, but the killing seems to be an act of far-left extremist violence.