After mulling it over a bit, plus seeing a few other response (Php, Ruby, etc) I think the internet is the reason. C, C++, Ada, Basic, Fortran. Those were writ

After mulling it over a bit, plus seeing a few other response (Php, Ruby, etc) I think the internet is the reason. C, C++, Ada, Basic, Fortran. Those were written assuming they were going to be writing systems code and numerical code. There is then some inertia keeping the most successful ones of from those periods going in their spaces. Then these new languages with new ideas (GCs, Dynamic Typing, etc) they came out and became successful in the newer Web and Application spaces. Now why they won out and not LISP or SmallTalk or what have you, I am not sure. But my hypothesis is that the web is a big part of it.