25 years after 9/11 (2001)
The attacks of September 11, 2001, often referred to as 9/11 (= nine-eleven), comprised four terrorist attacks carried out on the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001, in the northeastern United States using hijacked passenger planes. On this date, two planes crashed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, located on the southern tip of Manhattan in New York, and another plane crashed into the Pentagon, near Washington. A fourth plane crashed near Shanksville in the state of Pennsylvania. All four passenger aircraft were flying on a normal schedule. Two planes were owned by American Airlines and two by United Airlines.
Saudi Arabian multimillionaire Osama bin Laden and his terrorist organization Al-Qaeda are held responsible for these attacks; according to official reports, the attacks were carried out by nineteen members of Al-Qaeda from the Middle East (primarily from Saudi Arabia).
These terrorist attacks are considered the largest in history. Nearly 3000 people from 87 countries lost their lives in the attacks. 24 people who are still missing are presumed dead.
Where were you on September 11, 2001? And what were you doing in the days that followed? I am curious about your responses. People often know what they were doing on that day and at that hour, such as the murders of John F. Kennedy (November 22, 1963), John Lennon (December 8, 1980), Theo van Gogh (November 2, 2004), and Peter R. de Vries (July 6, 2021).
Course of the assessments
At 8:46 local time (14:46 in Belgium and the Netherlands) on the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001, the hijacked American Airlines Flight 11 passenger plane flew into the North Tower of the World Trade Center at a considerable height. The impact caused a major explosion, after which a fire broke out in the tower. The aircraft's tanks were still full of kerosene; it had taken off shortly before from Boston Logan International Airport in Boston, bound for the US West Coast.
Almost twenty minutes later, at 9:03 a.m., United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center slightly lower down, causing a fire as well. Initially, both towers remained standing, offering those on the floors below the impact zones some opportunity to escape. The South Tower collapsed completely first at 9:59 a.m. after a 56-minute fire; the North Tower followed at 10:28 a.m. after burning for 102 minutes. Virtually everyone still inside the towers at that moment perished. Additionally, several people died later from lung conditions resulting from the massive amount of dust released. Around 5:20 p.m., a third WTC building also collapsed completely. This was attributed to fires within the building and the damage it had sustained as a result of the collapse of the Twin Towers. Furthermore, WTC Buildings 3 through 6 were also severely damaged; most of these had to be demolished afterwards.
It is estimated that slightly less than 1400 people were present in the North Tower at the moment it collapsed. Among the victims were 348 firefighters and 62 police officers who rushed to the scene immediately after the impact. Due to the extremely thick smoke, it was impossible to attempt to rescue people from the tower roofs using rescue helicopters. To escape death by burning, at least 200 people jumped from the towers. Various photo and video recordings were made of these falling people, one of which became known as The Falling Man.
Just over half an hour after Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower, at 9:37 a.m., a third plane, American Airlines Flight 77, crashed into the U.S. Department of Defense building, the Pentagon, in Arlington County near Washington.
A fourth United Airlines plane, flight number 93, also hijacked, crashed that morning into a field just outside Pittsburgh. According to the FBI, transcripts of cockpit recordings indicate that the passengers had attempted to retake the plane – thanks to cell phones, they already knew what had happened in New York and therefore knew they had nothing to lose. One of the hijackers then allegedly advised suicide pilot Ziad Jarrah to crash the plane. It is believed that this prevented the intended target, possibly the Capitol or the White House, from being reached.
34c+11c Firefighters on top of the rubble of the World Trade Center
On June 7, 2002, the U.S. Postal Service in New York issued an unspecified First Class+ stamp (worth 45 cents) titled “Heroes of 2001.” The stamp was designed by Derry Noyes of Washington, D.C., and photographed by Thomas E. Franklin of Bergen County, New Jersey. In honor of the American heroes who responded to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the 'Heroes of 2001' stamps offered the public a way to support the families of injured or deceased first responders.
The stamp was valid for mailing at the rate of 34 cents for first-class mail, plus a surcharge of 11 cents. The net proceeds from the surcharge were transferred to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in accordance with the provisions of the 9/11 Heroes Stamp Act of 2001.
The surcharge of 11 cents was intended as support for the families of emergency workers who had lost their lives or become permanently disabled while performing their duties in connection with the events of September 11, 2001.
Ashton-Potter, Ltd. has printed 205 million stamps using the offset printing process.
34c United We Stand (vlag)
On October 24, 2001, the U.S. Postal Service issued a 34-cent stamp in Washington, D.C., featuring the text “United We Stand”. The stamp, designed by Terrence W. McCaffrey, was reissued in January 2002.
The flag of the United States is one of the most recognizable symbols of freedom in the world. The 'United We Stand' stamp features an impressive image of the American flag with the words 'United We Stand' at the bottom. The stamp was a fitting tribute to the renewed patriotic spirit of our nation, which united in purpose, pride, and determination following the tragic events of September 11, 2001.
The stamp was issued in an adhesive booklet of twenty (containing 2,25 billion stamps) printed by the Banknote Corporation of America Inc. using the offset/microprinting process, and an adhesive roll of 100 (4,7 billion stamps printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing using the intaglio process).
Deaths, damage and impact
None of the occupants of the four aircraft involved, including the hijackers, survived the attacks. Of the 2977 people who died as a result of the attacks, only 1585 could initially be identified based on the human remains found. Of the total of 19.916 human remains, 10.190 could be identified. Through the application of new technologies, new identifications are still being made sporadically.
The Twin Towers and the building at 7 World Trade Center of the WTC complex were completely destroyed. The official statement was that the buildings had collapsed due to fire. Several other buildings were later demolished due to the significant damage. A small part of the Pentagon was also heavily damaged.
In the United States, a sense of national mourning prevailed for a long time following the attacks. The attacks made an extraordinary impression all over the world. The media played a major role in this. The attack involving the plane that flew into the South Tower was even broadcast live on television. It later emerged that two cameras had also captured the initial crash. Furthermore, a webcam had recorded the approach of the first plane and the North Tower immediately after the crash.
Responsibility
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden, one of the leaders of Al-Qaeda alongside Ayman al-Zawahiri, is held responsible for the attacks by the American and other Western governments. His main co-organizer was Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who was already wanted for an attack on the World Trade Center in 1993.
The US requested his extradition from Afghanistan (where he had been residing since 1996). In 1999, the UN had already adopted a resolution requesting his extradition following the attacks on American embassies that killed 200 people, and after “9/11,” a similar resolution was adopted by the UN once again. Following a US ultimatum, hundreds of Taliban scholars gathered to deliberate. They requested that Bin Laden leave Afghanistan and wished to negotiate with the US. The US did not agree to this. Osama bin Laden stated that he only wanted to be tried in an Islamic country. He later called via video for a jihad of all Muslims against “Zionism and the Crusades” and also against the United States. He acknowledged responsibility for the attacks in veiled terms.
National September 11 Memorial & Museum
The National September 11 Memorial & Museum (Reflecting Absence) is a monument and museum for the victims of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, in the American city of New York. It was designed by Michael Arad and built on the site where the Twin Towers previously stood, next to the One World Trade Center skyscraper (formerly known as the Freedom Tower), which opened in November 2014. The monument was opened on September 11, 2011, for the family members of the victims of September 11, 2001.
Two low-lying water basins mark the exact locations where the towers once stood, the North Tower and the South Tower. The water surface is interrupted by voids. The basins are constantly filled with water that flows down the walls. The basins are enclosed by several structures, allowing visitors to enter the monument. They descend via a serene, dark corridor to a space where they stand behind the waterfalls and can view the basins. A copper railing has been built along the monument, bearing the list of names of all the victims.
Arad's design was one of 5000 submitted designs. It was selected by a jury from eight other finalists. This jury particularly praised the reverence and serenity of the design. The inexperienced Arad received assistance from Peter Walker, a renowned landscape architect. Arad himself described his design as “harmonious” and with “senses of loss and absence.”
Tribute in Light
Tribute in Light is a memorial to the Twin Towers in Lower Manhattan that were destroyed in the attacks of September 11, 2001. The installation consists of 88 xenon lights (44 lights each) that consume 7.000 watts each and is installed annually by the Italian company Space Cannon on a parking garage at 70 Greenwich Street (and thus not literally the location of the Twin Towers).
The concept was devised by affected people (family of victims) who conceived the idea of using lights as a memorial, under the auspices of the Municipal Art Society and Creative Time.
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Everything about 9/11 via various media with photos and videos:
https://npo.nl/collecties/9-11-en-terrorisme
https://npokennis.nl/longread/7459/hoe-leidden-de-aanslagen-op-9-11-tot-een-oorlog-tegen-terreur
https://www.volkskrant.nl/kijkverder/v/2026/iconische-beelden-aanslagen-9-11~v3228401
https://www.nationalgeographic.nl/geschiedenis-archeologie/a73637592/zo-begon-11-september
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