The September 11th 25th Anniversary

On the morning of September 11, 2001, four airplanes were hijacked after taking a flight from the East Coast toward the West Coast. All four were hijacked. The Miller Center states that the first plane, Flight 11, contained “76 passengers, 11 crew members, and 5 hijackers on board.” At approximately 8:46 a.m., Flight 11 crashed into the World Trade Center (WTC) North Tower, killing everyone on board and trapping innocent lives in the upper stories of the building. The second plane, Flight 175, which contained “51 passengers, 9 crew members, and 5 hijackers on board,” crashed into the WTC South Tower at 9:03 a.m., also killing everybody on board. The third plane, Flight 77, had “53 passengers, 6 crew members, and 5 hijackers on board.” All of them died along with 125 other people when the plane crashed into the Pentagon at 9:37 a.m. Last but not least, the fourth plane, Flight 93, with “33 passengers, 7 crew members, and 4 hijackers are on board,” crashed into an empty field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania at 10:02 a.m. In total, 2,997 people died from this tragedy.

This catastrophe, planned by Osama Bin Laden, caused severe impacts. First, not only did many lose their lives, but others were left physically and mentally traumatized. According to the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention, “An estimated 400,000 people were exposed to toxic contaminants, risk of physical injury, and physically and emotionally stressful conditions in the days, weeks, and months following the attacks.” Next, in response to 9/11, U.S. airlines began to require deep security checks to prevent the types of weapons used by the hijackers from getting through.

Every year, we remember these events by honoring the brave souls who helped others until they themselves passed away, the victims who suffered death or injury, and those who lost important people to their lives to these attacks. The 9/11 Memorial & Museum notes that this can be done by being a part of the Stair Climb. “Across the nation, you can honor the 343 first responders who gave their lives to help others on 9/11 by climbing 110 stories – the equivalent of the highest point of the World Trade Center.” Additionally, one can join the moment of silence for the victims of the terrorist attacks by simply watching the commemoration ceremony.

To end, Natural Geographic Kids mentions honorable heroes like Rick Rescorla, who rescued 2,700 employees before the towers collapsed by previously teaching them safety drills after the 1993 bombing. There are also the passengers and crew of Flight 93, who attacked the hijackers in revolt against using the plane as a suicide attack on the U.S., thereby sparing the lives of many. Finally, the “Man in the Red Bandana” who made three trips to the sky lobby, rescuing as many people he could.

Imagine courtesy of Dave Z on Wikimedia Commons.