History 101 of Charm City

The nickname "Charm City" traces its origins to 1975; it grew out of creative conferences among four of the city's leading advertising executives and creative directors. Mayor William Donald Schaefer requested them to 'come up with something to promote the city. And do it now! I'm worried about this city's poor image.' "  So, short answer: "Charm City" started in the mid-1970s as a promotion by one or more ad agencies.

One thing visitors quickly notice is that some locals refer to their city as "Balamer," dropping the "t". The traditional local white accent, peculiar to some working-class areas of the city, has long been noted and celebrated as "Baltimorese" or "Bawlmorese." 

 

Baltimore is the largest city in the state of Maryland.

Founded in 1729, Baltimore is the largest seaport in the Mid-Atlantic United States Baltimore's Inner Harbour was once the second leading port of entry for immigrants to the United States and a major manufacturing center. After a decline in manufacturing, Baltimore shifted to a service-oriented economy.

At 620,961 residents in 2010. Baltimore's population has decreased by one-third since its peak in 1950. The Baltimore Metropolian area has grown steadily to approximately 2.7 million residents in 2010; the 20th largest in the country.

The city is named after Lord Baltimore, a member of the Irish House of Lords and the founding proprietor of the Maryland Colony Baltimore is an anglization of the Irish Gaelic name Baile an Tí Mhóir, meaning "town of the big house"

 

The city was the site of the Battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812. After burning Washington, D.C., the British attacked Baltimore on the night of September 13, 1814. United States forces from Fort McHenry successfully defended the city's harbor from the British. Francis Scott Key, a Maryland lawyer, was aboard a British ship where he had been negotiating for the release of an American prisoner, Dr. William Beanes. Key witnessed the bombardment from this ship and later wrote "The Star Spangled Banner", a poem recounting the attack. Key's poem was set to a 1780 tune by British composer John Stafford Smith, and the Star-Spangled Banner became the official National Anthem of the United States in 1931.