9/11 We Will Never Forget
"On a sunny, cloudless Tuesday morning nineteen years ago, New York, the nation and the world were changed forever. We will never forget the nearly three thousand lives lost during the September 11th terrorist attacks." Gov. Andrew Cuomo spoke this morning at the 9/11 ceremony, "We will never forget that a day marked by unfathomable loss was met with equal courage. Selfless heroes ran into hell without hesitation, and led tens of thousands to safety. Our brave first responders have our enduring respect and gratitude. The pain and suffering continue for too many, who, in the aftermath of these attacks still battle 9/11-related illnesses. We stand with these heroes and in the fight to ensure they receive every bit of the funding and care they need and deserve. In the midst of the COVID crisis, today is an especially poignant moment to commemorate and reflect on bravery and selflessness. Once again, our country is facing an unprecedented challenge. And once again, New Yorkers are responding with the same loving, caring and united spirit that has always defined us in our best days and our darkest days alike."
Sept. 11, 2001
8:46 a.m. Hijackers crash American Airlines Flight 11 into the north tower. The 76 passengers and 11 crew members and hundreds inside the building are instantly killed.
9:03 a.m. Hijackers crash United Airlines Flight 175 into the south tower, killing 51 passengers, 9 crew members and an unknown number of people inside the building.
9:59 a.m. The south tower collapses in 10 seconds after burning for almost an hour. More than 800 civilians and first responders are killed.
10:28 a.m. The north tower collapses after burning for 102 minutes and more than 1,600 people are killed.
19 years ago today 2,977 died in the attacks on September 11th. On the anniversary of 9/11 today there will be ceremonies at the 9/11 memorial plaza.
Watch the live stream here: https://video.ibm.com/911memorial
Events today will be held at the new One World Trade Center in downtown Manhattan, and it is the tallest building in the Western hemisphere at 1,776 feet. The single skyscraper replaces the iconic Twin Towers, destroyed on September 11, 2001 -- marking the first ever attack on US soil.
Flags are flying half-staff across the tri-state area today, because even though it's been almost 20 years, New York City feels the effects of the devastating terror attack, and each year we continue to remember in our own way.
The governors of New Jersey and Connecticut are attending the national remembrance ceremony at ground zero, with Vice President Mike Pence and his wife. Democratic presidential challenger Joe Biden is also at the New York City commemoration, along with Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Friday will mark Trump's second time observing the 9/11 anniversary at the Flight 93 memorial, and not in NYC. Biden spoke at the memorial’s dedication in 2011, when he was vice president. He will visit PA again today. Though the candidates will be focused on the commemorations, the political significance of their focus on Shanksville is hard to ignore: Pennsylvania is a must-win state for both. Trump won it by less than a percentage point in 2016.
The New York memorial is changing one of its ceremony's central traditions: having relatives read the names of the dead, often adding poignant tributes.
Thousands of family members are still invited. But they'll hear a recording of the names from speakers spread around the vast plaza, a plan that memorial leaders felt would avoid close contact at a stage but still allow families to remember their loved ones at the place where they died.
Gov. Coumo had this to say, "This year it is especially important that we all appreciate and commemorate 9/11, the lives lost, and the heroism displayed as New Yorkers are once again called upon to face a common enemy. I understand the Museum's concern for health and safety, and appreciate their reconsideration. The state will provide health personnel to supervise to make sure the event is held safely while at the same time properly honoring 9/11. We will never forget. New York will build back stronger, and we will never cease to be the globe's beacon of freedom, opportunity, and democracy."
A day earlier, the mayor talked about this year's anniversary in light of the city's current reality. "This is an anniversary that brings so much feeling and of course there is a lot of pain. I hope everyone remembers the heroism not only of our first responders but of our citizens as well," de Blasio said. "It's also another moment to say, you think back – think back to that generation of New Yorkers, you think back to those heroes, you think back to the compassion of everyday New Yorkers in that moment of crisis. People all over this country and all over this world watched, and they were in awe of New York City."
The ceremonies will pause at six moments – twice to mark the times that each plane hit the towers, twice to mark the time when each tower fell and to mark the moments of the attacks on the Pentagon and on Flight 93:
8:46 a.m. – Citywide moment of silence (observance of time American Airlines Flight 11 struck the North Tower)
9:03 a.m. – Moment of silence (observance of time United Airlines Flight 175 struck the South Tower)
9:37 a.m. – Moment of silence (observance of time American Airlines Flight 77 struck the Pentagon)
9:59 a.m. – Moment of silence (observance of time of the fall of the South Tower)
10:03 a.m. – Moment of silence (observance of time United Airlines Flight 93 crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania)
10:28 a.m. – Moment of silence (observance of time of the fall of the North Tower)
A scheduled flyover on the Hudson River near the Verazzano Bridge at 3:30 p.m.
Tribute in Light: Look up and you’ll see the 9/11 Memorial’s striking lights that reach 4 miles into the sky from dusk to dawn on the night of Sept. 11. The twin beams mirror the shape and orientation of the Twin Towers. It can also be seen from a 60-mile radius around lower Manhattan.
020 9/11 Television Specials & Documentaries
On local network TV, watch for the NBC, CBS and ABC affiliates providing live coverage of local morning memorial ceremonies in New York and elsewhere, followed by specials and documentaries airing in primetime nationwide today.
At 8PM ET, ABC will re-air “9/11 Remembered: The Day We Came Together,” a special filmed at the 2014 opening of the 9/11 Memorial Museum. Former President Barack Obama and then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg joins survivors, family members and first-responders. Performances include a children’s choir singing “Somewhere.”
Also watch for two back-to-back documentaries on the History channel beginning at 8PM ET with “9/11: The Final Minutes of Fight 93” followed by “9/11: The Pentagon" at 9PM ET.
Seeing the 9/11 Memorial & Museum
The National 9/11 Memorial was dedicated on September 11, 2011 on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in a ceremony for victims' families. The following day, it opened to the public on September 12, 2011 and remains open for visitors with advance passes.
The memorial features the country's largest man-made waterfalls dramatically cascading into two sunken pools. These pools mark the footprints of the Twin Towers. The names of 2,980 victims have been etched in granite around the edges of the memorial. The effect seeks to create closure for families belonging to the nearly 40 percent of victims whose bodies were completely obliterated by explosions during the attacks.
Opened in the spring of 2014, an admission price of $24 is required to visit The 9/11 Memorial Museum which houses artifacts from 9/11 events including personal items from survivors as well as the deceased donated by their families. In addition, there is an extensive audio collection of personal histories from emergency service workers, survivor's families, as well as ordinary New Yorkers who witnessed the events of the day.
Getting to the World Trade Center 9/11 Memorial
By subway:
• A, C, J, M, Z, 2, 3, 4, or 5 trains to Fulton Street: exit onto Fulton St. and walk west to Church St. Walk south and turn right on Thames St.
• 2 or 3 train to Park Place, then exit onto Church St. Walk south and turn right on Thames St.
• E train to World Trade Center, then exit onto Church St. Walk south and turn right on Thames St.
• R train to Rector Street, then exit onto Trinity Pl. Walk north and turn left on Thames St.
• 1 train to Rector Street, then exit onto Greenwich St. Walk north and turn left on Albany St.
By bus:
• Southbound: take the M5 bus to Thames St. Walk west to Albany St.
• Northbound: take the M5 bus to Rector St. Walk north to Albany St.
By PATH train:
• To World Trade Center
