John Philip Sousa was an American composer and conductor, known as 'The March King' for his military marches. He wrote over 130 marches, including 'The Stars and Stripes Forever', which is the national march of the United States. He was born in Washington, D.C. in 1854 and died in 1932. He was a member of the U.S. Marine Band from 1880 to 1892, and then formed his own band, which toured extensively throughout the United States and Europe. He was also a prolific composer of operettas, concert works, and other musical pieces.