Remembering September 11, 2001

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When the planes crashed and the buildings collapsed on that sunny September morning, shock waves of dismay and grief swept across the United States. Today Americans commemorate the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. An American flag flies, with the lower Manhattan skyline in background, Wednesday, in Jersey City, NJ. (AP Photo/Adam Gray) US NEWS US marks 25 years since the Sept. 11 attacks On Sept. 11, 2001, al-Qaida extremists hijacked four commercial jets and crashed them into New York’s World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The attacks left nearly 3,000 people dead, the nation shaken, and a decades-long trail of aftermath, from personal grief to far-flung wars. Read more.

What to know: Friday’s milestone anniversary will bring memorial rituals to a day that about half of U.S. adults remember as one of the most historic events of their lifetime, according to a new Ipsos poll. President Donald Trump plans to attend a ceremony at the Pentagon. For the first time, this year’s New York commemoration will add a silent moment to honor people who were exposed to the clouds of toxic dust released by the twin towers’ fiery collapse and have since died of cancer and other illnesses. Questions remain about how many people developed health problems linked to the dust.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ WATCH: Archive footage shows how the day unfolded  Defining photos of 9/11 still endure  AP photographer who captured indelible images recalls ‘unearthly’ scene WATCH: Light show takes place in New York Smithsonian marks anniversary with a display of rare artifacts  One attack, many Americas: Why 9/11 and its many griefs land differently 25 years later  9/11 overshadows other major events of the past 25 years for many Americans, new poll finds  From the Lockerbie bombing to 9/11: How attacks on flights defined US air travel  Most states prompt schools to teach about 9/11, but the details differ, AP finds  Trump to commemorate 25th anniversary of 9/11 attacks at the Pentagon  Trial remains elusive for purported mastermind accused of plotting 9/11 attacks

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America marks 25th anniversary of 9/11 attacks

A person watches a 9/11 tribute illuminate the lower Manhattan skyline on Wednesday. (Adam Gray/AP)

Twenty-five years ago today, the course of American history changed in a single morning. In a terrorist plot orchestrated by al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, 19 hijackers took control of four US commercial airplanes and turned them into weapons in deadly attacks on New York, Pennsylvania and the nation’s capital.

A total of 2,977 people were killed, ranging in age from two to 85. Thousands more, including first responders and others who spent months working at the disaster sites, have since died of cancers and illnesses due to their exposure to toxic ash and rubble.

Until this year, the annual September 11 commemoration ceremony at Ground Zero has included six moments of silence — marking the four plane crashes and the collapse of each of the Twin Towers. This year, a seventh moment of silence will honor those who have died from 9/11-related diseases. Former Presidents Joe Biden, Barack Obama and George W. Bush are expected to attend the ceremony in New York City, while President Donald Trump will mark the occasion at the Pentagon.

+ Read more: Why there will be a new moment of silence at this year’s Ground Zero ceremony

+ Images: The 9/11 photos we will never forget (Editor’s note: This gallery contains graphic images. Viewer discretion is advised.)

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Stories from survivors, witnesses and families

As time has passed, many survivors, first responders and families have shared their memories of what they saw and the people they lost on 9/11. CNN recently spoke with aviation officials who were working when the attacks occurred, including Michael McCormick, an FAA air traffic manager in New York. After learning a second plane had been hijacked, McCormick ordered all planes out of the airspace he oversaw. Twenty-five years later, he now teaches air traffic management and passes those lessons on to a new generation of controllers. Separately, Monica Iken-Murphy, who lost her husband on September 11, shares in the video below how she became an advocate for creating the memorial that is now visited by millions each year.

+ Read more: They were on duty on 9/11. This is how they remember it 25 years later

+ Video: The 9/11 widow who fought for a memorial

+ Streaming now: CNN Film’s “Top of the World” looks back at the iconic restaurant atop the World Trade Center through firsthand accounts from its staff + One former employee, seen below, was supposed to work that morning. A shift swap saved his life.

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9/11 footage reaches a new generation

For many younger Americans, 9/11 is being encountered for the first time through clips on YouTube and TikTok. More than 100 million Americans are too young to remember the attacks, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently noted. But online, real footage is often appearing alongside false claims and heinous conspiracy theories, CNN’s Chief Media Analyst Brian Stelter says. He recommends turning to long-form documentaries from trusted news sources for a fuller picture. On Google, rising searches include “who were the hijackers” and “how many stairs did the firefighters climb.” There is no single answer to the latter, but memorial stair climbs typically use 2,200 steps — or 110 flights — to represent the height of the World Trade Center towers.

+ Read more: 9/11 footage is reaching new audiences — and fueling old conspiracy theories

+ Video: How one history teacher is helping students learn about 9/11 25 years later

+ Documentary: CNN Film’s “9/11” is a minute-by-minute portrayal of the attacks on the World Trade Center, from the perspective of the first responders who answered the call on that fateful day.

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Drone display recreates New York’s Twin Towers

A moving tribute illuminated the New York skyline Thursday night. Drones formed the outline of the Twin Towers using 2,977 lights — one for each person killed in the attacks. See the video here.

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How to support first responders and affected families

For 25 years, charities have provided financial assistance to families affected by 9/11 and supported rescue workers facing lasting health problems. Their efforts have helped cover medical expenses, provide financial assistance and fund mentoring programs and scholarships for children nationwide. CNN Impact Your World created a simple way to donate to organizations carrying this work forward. Learn more here.

[Asia Joe]

Am I the only one here to believe this was the biggest false flag in my lifetime? 

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Fact check: False claim persists that planes weren't used in 9/11 attacks on World Trade Center

Devon Link

USA TODAY

June 17, 2021, 6:54 p.m. ET

The claim: Planes were not used in the 9/11 attacks at the World Trade Center

On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, al-Qaida-affiliated terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners and killed thousands of Americans. Two decades later, conspiracy theorists are still claiming the attacks didn't happen the way they did.

On Sept. 11, terrorists hijacked and crashed two planes into the World Trade Center in New York City and one plane into the Pentagon. Another hijacked plane crashed in Pennsylvania when passengers attempted to retake it. 

At the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan, American Airlines Flight 11 struck the northern facade of the north tower less than 20 minutes before United Airlines Flight 175 struck the southwestern facade of the south tower. 

But a June 13 Instagram post says there were not any planes used in the attack. 

“No planez,” says a caption on a video shared in the post, which shows the south tower explosion.

That claim is wrong. 

The use of planes in the 9/11 attacks is well-documented. A bipartisan report on the attacks detailed how terrorists hijacked and crashed the planes. The reason the plane is not visible in the video is due to the position from which it was filmed. .....

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2021/06/17/fact-check-9-11-attack-world-trade-center-wasnt-false-flag/7692018002/

 

In late 2005, Steven E. Jones, then a professor at Brigham Young University, announced a paper criticizing the NIST Report and describing his hypothesis that the WTC towers had been intentionally demolished by explosives. This paper garnered some mainstream media attention, including an appearance by Jones on MSNBC. This was the first such programming on a major cable news station. Jones was criticized by his university for making his claims public before vetting them through the approved peer review process. He was placed on paid leave and has since retired.^[55][78][79]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/9/11_truth_movement

Healthy skepticism, it seems, has curdled into paranoia. Wild conspiracy tales are peddled daily on the Internet, talk radio and in other media. Blurry photos, quotes taken out of context and sketchy eyewitness accounts have inspired a slew of elaborate theories: The Pentagon was struck by a missile; the World Trade Center was razed by demolition-style bombs; Flight 93 was shot down by a mysterious white jet. As outlandish as these claims may sound, they are increasingly accepted abroad and among extremists here in the United States.

To investigate 16 of the most prevalent claims made by conspiracy theorists, POPULAR MECHANICS assembled a team of nine researchers and reporters who, together with PM editors, consulted more than 70 professionals in fields that form the core content of this magazine, including aviation, engineering and the military.

In the end, we were able to debunk each of these assertions with hard evidence and a healthy dose of common sense. We learned that a few theories are based on something as innocent as a reporting error on that chaotic day. Others are the byproducts of cynical imaginations that aim to inject suspicion and animosity into public debate. Only by confronting such poisonous claims with irrefutable facts can we understand what really happened on a day that is forever seared into world history.

https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/a49/1227842/

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Very interesting. I see first hand how history is made. 

Young people have no idea what really happened on that day.  They probably  never will. how much of our history was created like this? 

Very interesting indeed. 

 

 

[Asia Joe]

Because all the manufacturing has moved out of the country, young people have no engineering background. They do not understand physics. So when so many young people publish these stories, there is no counter argument.  

It all makes sense to them, because they don't see the engineering problems with the official narrative.  They don't see the laws of physics being broken in the official report. 

Fascinating. 

 

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📸 Photographers on 9/11

Onlookers watch the World Trade Center burn on Sept. 11, 2001. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images "This is history, this is history." That's what photojournalist Spencer Platt was thinking 25 years ago as he photographed the events unfolding on the morning of 9/11. Platt and fellow Getty photographer Mario Tama told Axios' Sarah Grillo what it was like on the ground that day. Tama had just been hired by Getty Images two months before when he got the urgent call from his assignment editor. Rushing out the door of his Lower East Side apartment, he recalled the horror of what he was documenting: "There was definitely some cognitive dissonance — it was totally unfathomable. As I got closer on foot, I came across an office worker being treated on the ground, stunned and bloodied. Seeing blood coming out of his ear made the human toll of what was happening frighteningly real." Civilians take cover as a dust cloud from the collapse of the World Trade Center envelops Lower Manhattan on Sept. 11, 2001. Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images While trying to reach Ground Zero, Tama saw the South Tower collapse: "I then heard a kind of shearing sound and looked up and, horrifyingly, I recall the tower tilted a bit and started to pancake down. In that moment, I went from being a photojournalist to any other New Yorker running for their life. It was absolutely terrifying." Keep reading. Americans mark 25 years since 9/11, in photos From New York and the Pentagon to Pennsylvania and communities nationwide, Americans mark the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks with memorial ceremonies, moments of silence, vigils and tributes. Read More.

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‘I think of him every year’: remembering those lost in 9/11, 25 years later

Guardian readers share stories of the friends, colleagues and mentors whose lives they continue to honor decades after the attacks

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/11/september-11-victims-remembering?

🇺🇸 America remembers

People make a path as the "Wedge of Light," representing the Twin Towers, appears on the floor inside the Oculus in Manhattan yesterday. Photo: Heather Khalifa/AP A quarter century after the 9/11 attacks killed nearly 3,000 people, Americans gathered at Ground Zero, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, Pa., where Flight 93 crashed, to mourn those lost. "[A]t the annual reading of the names ... the passage of time was palpable. Some 9/11 family members reading the names were so young when their parents were killed they said they had no memories of them. Others mourned grandparents, uncles and aunts they never met," The New York Times' Andy Newman writes. Image: The Wall Street Journal This was the cover of a Wall Street Journal special section yesterday. The Journal's newsroom, located directly across the street from the World Trade Center, was evacuated and heavily damaged when the towers fell. Throughout the rest of the day, WSJ reporters and editors walked the streets of Manhattan with their notebooks and gathered in each other's apartments to piece together the next day's paper. Watch a video.

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Never Forget

Nearly 3,000 people died in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the deadliest in US history. Their effects profoundly reshaped American society and the world. The day still resonates deeply: 93% of Americans who were at least 10 years old on 9/11 say they remember exactly where they were when they heard the news.    > Decades of instability in the Middle East gave rise to al-Qaida. (More, w/video) > President George W. Bush explained his very public initial reaction to the attacks during a visit to a second-grade classroom. (More, w/video)  > View artifacts at the Smithsonian that tell the story of 9/11. (More, w/photos)   In response to 9/11, the US launched the Global War on Terror, beginning the longest military engagement in American history. Domestically, the government passed the Patriot Act, created the Department of Homeland Security, and transformed airport security while implementing controversial detention and interrogation policies.   > Read how the attacks reshaped US foreign and military policy for decades. (More) > The Authorization for Use of Military Force, passed days after 9/11, has been used by five administrations to justify military operations in 22 countries. (More) > See Also: Netflix's outstanding five-part documentary on how 9/11 and the War on Terror changed America. (Watch trailer)   More than 400 first responders died on 9/11, the largest loss of emergency personnel on a single day in American history. More than 10,000 members of the New York Fire Department have been diagnosed with at least one condition related to the World Trade Center's collapse, nearly 4,500 of which are cancers.   > Hear from heroic firefighters who were there and loved ones of those who died that day. (More, w/video) > 9/11 first responders still deal with significant mental and physical impairments. (More)   Discover more:  > Queen Elizabeth II ordered the US national anthem played at Buckingham Palace after the attacks. (More, w/video) > Vladimir Putin was the first world leader to call Bush after 9/11, and visited the US two months later. (More) > Watch Jon Stewart's unifying opening monologue during his first show back after the tragedy. (More, w/video) > Hear the story behind President Bush's first pitch at the World Series in NYC, less than two months after 9/11. (More, w/video)

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On 9/11, we saw the worst of humanity—but that day also allowed for some of its best. This week, we wanted to highlight some of the amazing stories of heroism by ordinary individuals.

 

> Civilian boat captains helped evacuate roughly half a million people from lower Manhattan, resulting in the largest seaborne evacuation ever. (More, w/video)

 

> Colleagues carried a quadriplegic coworker down nearly 70 flights of stairs to safety on 9/11. (More)

 

> The "Man in the Red Bandana" saved lives by repeatedly entering the south tower's burning sky lobby to guide survivors to safety before dying in its collapse. (More, w/video)

 

> Gander, a tiny town in Newfoundland, Canada, came together to host thousands of stranded passengers from 95 countries for days after 9/11 and inspired a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical. (More, w/video)

 

> Passengers and crew aboard hijacked United Flight 93 stormed the cockpit, forcing the hijackers to crash the plane short of its likely target, the US Capitol. See intact objects found in the wreckage of the crash. (More, w/video)

 

An estimated 1 million Americans showed up to give blood in the days after the 9/11 attacks. Find your nearest blood drive today to support the Red Cross, which recently declared its second-ever national blood supply crisis. (Sign up info)