Eli5: Why is the English language most common in this world?

Question

Eli5: Why is the English language most common in this world?

In: 41

Answer 1

The British formed a one of the first truly global empires, and were *the* global super power much up until WWI.

The second that war was over, the baton of the global super power was handed to the US… A country that also happens to speak English, being a former British colony.

So back to back, for centuries now, the lingua franca of most of the business world has been English.