Questions the Rest of the World Has for Americans

3. Why does the US use different measurements from the rest of the world?

Until just a few decades ago, many countries used their own systems of measurement — including the US, which adopted the British Imperial System. But in 1960, under France’s influence, the rest of the world transition to the metric system, which uses the meter, liter, kilogram, and so on. To ease confusion, the US officially opted to use the metric system and the Imperial system, and to this day, both are still taught in schools. In many scientific communities, the metric system is used, but the Imperial system prevailed in everyday life. Watch American football, and you'll get the gist of it.