<P> In 1930, Veterans of Foreign Wars started a petition for the United States to officially recognize "The Star - Spangled Banner" as the national anthem . Five million people signed the petition . The petition was presented to the United States House Committee on the Judiciary on January 31, 1930 . On the same day, Elsie Jorss - Reilley and Grace Evelyn Boudlin sang the song to the Committee to refute the perception that it was too high pitched for a typical person to sing . The Committee voted in favor of sending the bill to the House floor for a vote . The House of Representatives passed the bill later that year . The Senate passed the bill on March 3, 1931 . President Herbert Hoover signed the bill on March 4, 1931, officially adopting "The Star - Spangled Banner" as the national anthem of the United States of America . As currently codified, the United States Code states that "(t) he composition consisting of the words and music known as the Star - Spangled Banner is the national anthem ." </P> <Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This section may contain indiscriminate, excessive, or irrelevant examples . Please improve the article by adding more descriptive text and removing less pertinent examples . See Wikipedia's guide to writing better articles for further suggestions . (November 2012) </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This section may contain indiscriminate, excessive, or irrelevant examples . Please improve the article by adding more descriptive text and removing less pertinent examples . See Wikipedia's guide to writing better articles for further suggestions . (November 2012) </Td> </Tr> <P> The song is notoriously difficult for nonprofessionals to sing because of its wide range--a 12th . Humorist Richard Armour referred to the song's difficulty in his book It All Started With Columbus . </P>

The words of the national anthem of america