The day that changed America: 25 years after the September 11 attacks
Фото: Brian Craig
On September 11, 2001, the United States experienced one of the most devastating terrorist attacks in modern history. Terrorists hijacked four passenger planes and used them to launch attacks in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania.
Two planes crashed into the World Trade Center towers in New York. Both buildings later collapsed. The terrorists flew a third plane into the Pentagon near Washington.
A fourth Boeing crashed in Pennsylvania. Passengers and crew members tried to resist the attackers and regain control of the plane. It crashed near Shanksville, missing its target.
The terrorist attacks killed 2,977 people. Among them were citizens of approximately 60 countries. The largest number of foreigners killed was from the United Kingdom — 67 people. Among the victims was also one citizen of Ukraine.
Immediately after the attacks, the US launched a large-scale operation against the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda, which claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Its leader, Osama bin Laden, was killed by American special forces in Pakistan in 2011. His successor, Ayman al-Zawahiri, was killed in Kabul in a US drone strike in 2022.
The effects of September 11 were felt far beyond the crash sites. Thousands of rescue workers, police officers, and others who worked at the scene of the tragedy later faced serious health problems.
One of the companies that suffered the most losses was financial firm Cantor Fitzgerald, which lost 658 of its employees in the attacks.
A quarter of a century after the attacks, the American trial of one of the main defendants is still ongoing.
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was detained in Pakistan in 2003. He has been held in Guantanamo since 2006. The American side accuses him of involvement in the deaths of 2,977 people.
The trial of him and several alleged accomplices has been repeatedly postponed, partly due to disputes over evidence obtained in secret CIA prisons, where suspects were subjected to torture, including simulated drowning.
The trial is currently scheduled to begin in June 2028.
In 2026, the United States will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the attacks. The main ceremonies will be held in New York, near the Pentagon, and at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania.
In New York, relatives of the deceased will read out the names of all the victims. This year, the program has been supplemented with another moment of silence. It will be dedicated to people who died from illnesses related to the consequences of the attacks.
In total, seven moments of silence were planned during the ceremony.
President Donald Trump will speak at the ceremony outside the Pentagon this year. Vice President J.D. Vance will visit Ground Zero in New York. Former presidents Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush are also expected to attend the event.
On the eve of the anniversary, New York City already held a large-scale light show. On the evening of September 10, 2,977 light elements were raised above the city’s harbor – one for each person who died in the terrorist attacks.
First, they created a composition over the water, and later recreated the silhouettes of the World Trade Center towers.
According to a new Ipsos poll, about half of American adults unpromptedly name September 11 as one of the most important events of their lives. Nine out of ten respondents believe the attacks changed the United States significantly or somewhat.
At the same time, only about 10% of respondents plan to actively participate in the celebration of the 25th anniversary. Most often, Americans plan to honor the memory of the dead with a minute of silence or to raise the national flag.
Also follow “Pryamim” on Facebook , X , Telegram , and Instagram.