Today is September 11th, 2025, 24 years after the events of 9/11/01. On this day, we celebrate the overcoming of tragedy our country has survived, yet we also mourn and learn from the events of such a horrific event. Terrorism of this level had never touched our country before this day. In the average civilian’s mind, a thought of something of this degree could never happen.
Four planes were hijacked. Four important American sites were targeted. Flights 11, 175, 77, and 93 were hijacked by Afghan terrorists. 8:46 AM Tuesday, September 11th, Flight 11 hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center. While this was scary, no one thought anything malevolent was at play; however, just 17 minutes later, life as an American citizen changed forever. At 9:03 AM, flight 175 hit the South Tower, and anxiety, terror, and panic set in. 2,753 people lost their lives in the attack on the World Trade Center. This does not include the over 400 first responders who rushed to the scene, losing their lives as well.
9:37 AM flight 77 hits the outer wall of the Pentagon. There’s evidence that in the final moments of flight 77, the pilot maneuvered the plane away from the innermost parts of the Pentagon. His bravery and last-minute thinking potentially saved hundreds more lives; however, 184 people still lost their lives in the attack on the Pentagon. Just 26 minutes after the crash of Flight 77, the heroism of the passengers on Flight 93 saved possibly hundreds of lives and stopped mass panic. 10:03 AM flight 93 crashes in Pittsburgh, PA. It’s speculated that this plane was either intended to hit the White House or the Capitol Building; however, the passengers, or American heroes, took the cockpit back from the terrorists and crashed it before it could reach its target. Unfortunately, all 40 people on Flight 93 lost their lives.
Four minutes before the events of Flight 93, the South Tower collapsed at 9:59 AM. Twenty-nine minutes after the first collapse, the North Tower collapsed, leading to panic in New York. After this, for the first time in history, the FAA grounded all flights because they did not know how many planes were hijacked or when they had been. The U.S. immediately waged war on Afghanistan, and the Department of Homeland Security was created in 2002.
President George W. Bush calmed panic and used this attack on American soil to bring the country together in unity and citizenship.”Never Forget” became a national phrase for remembrance of the victims.
