<P> `` O Canada '' ( French : Ô Canada ) is the national anthem of Canada . The song was originally commissioned by Lieutenant Governor of Quebec Théodore Robitaille for the 1880 Saint - Jean - Baptiste Day ceremony ; Calixa Lavallée composed the music , after which , words were written by the poet and judge Sir Adolphe - Basile Routhier . The lyrics were originally in French ; an English version was created in 1906 . Robert Stanley Weir wrote in 1908 another English version , which is the official and most popular version , one that is not a literal translation of the French . Weir 's lyrics have been revised twice , taking their present form in 1980 , but the French lyrics remain unaltered . `` O Canada '' had served as a de facto national anthem since 1939 , officially becoming Canada 's national anthem in 1980 when the Act of Parliament making it so received royal assent and became effective on July 1 as part of that year 's Dominion Day ( now known as Canada Day ) celebrations . </P>
<P> `` O Canada '' ( French : Ô Canada ) is the national anthem of Canada . The song was originally commissioned by Lieutenant Governor of Quebec Théodore Robitaille for the 1880 Saint - Jean - Baptiste Day ceremony ; Calixa Lavallée composed the music , after which , words were written by the poet and judge Sir Adolphe - Basile Routhier . The lyrics were originally in French ; an English version was created in 1906 . Robert Stanley Weir wrote in 1908 another English version , which is the official and most popular version , one that is not a literal translation of the French . Weir 's lyrics have been revised twice , taking their present form in 1980 , but the French lyrics remain unaltered . `` O Canada '' had served as a de facto national anthem since 1939 , officially becoming Canada 's national anthem in 1980 when the Act of Parliament making it so received royal assent and became effective on July 1 as part of that year 's Dominion Day ( now known as Canada Day ) celebrations . </P>
when was o canada proclaimed the national anthem
when was o canada proclaimed the national anthem
1939
1939