Language incidents that changed History

1. Hiroshima and Nagasaki might have been spared the atom bomb if a single Japanese Word had been translated differently. The word was mokusatsu, which can mean either “ignore,” “withhold comment,” or “have no comment.” Before dropping the first atom bomb, the United States warned Japan of a new weapon and gave the Japanese government the chance to surrender in order to avoid overpowering destruction to its cities. The Imperial Government announced internationally that, pending cabinet discussion of the development, it was following a policy of mokusatsu. This verb was translated as  “ignore” and the bomb was dropped.
2. German almost became the official language of the United States of America. The Continental Congress, convened in Philadelphia during the Revolution, at one time considered adopting a new language for the future United States, perhaps with the aim of  cutting off all ties with England. Among the languages suggested were German, Hebrew and French. Nevertheless, when the proposition came to a vote, English was chosen as the language of the new republic – by the majority of one vote!