Muhlenberg legend

The Muhlenberg legend is an <a href="/facts/Urban_legend/zBubH9kG">urban legend</a> in the <a href="/facts/United_States/P0sCdLe5">United States</a> and <a href="/facts/Germany/paluuWBX">Germany</a>. According to the legend, the single vote of <a href="/facts/Frederick_Muhlenberg/V0JokxAn">Frederick Muhlenberg</a>, the first-ever <a href="/facts/Speaker_of_the_US_House_of_Representatives/BtGvrhK1">Speaker of the US House of Representatives</a>, prevented <a href="/facts/German_language/oWaQIDA8">German</a> from becoming an <a href="/facts/Languages_of_the_United_States/70wYjJIa">official language of the United States</a>. The story has a long history and has been told in several variations, which may be based in part on actual events.
The United States, however, has no statutory official language; English has been used on a de facto basis because of its status as the country's predominant language, and has also been designated as the official language of the executive branch of the federal government by <a href="/facts/Executive_Order_14224/v0YuxXC6">an executive order</a> issued on March 1, 2025. At times, various states have passed <a href="/facts/Languages_of_the_United_States/70wYjJIa">their own official language laws</a>.

Muhlenberg legend open-in-new

Muhlenberg legend