America Commemorates the 13th Anniversary of the 9/11 Attacks
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Bilgin Sasmaz/Anadolu Agency/Getty Image(NEW YORK) — Thursday marks the 13th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks against the United States.
It was on this day in 2001 that al Qaeda hijackers flew planes into the World Trade Center towers in lower Manhattan as well as the Pentagon building in Washington D.C. A fourth plane crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers and crew rushed the cockpit.
Nearly 3,000 people were killed that day, including all 19 hijackers, in the deadliest terrorist strike on U.S. soil. It led to two overseas wars and substantial lifestyle changes at home as Americans no longer took their national security for granted.
[SLIDESHOW: View Photos of the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum Exhibit]
This year’s commemoration also comes on the heels of President Obama’s speech to the nation Wednesday evening that outlined steps the U.S. will take to “degrade and destroy” the Islamic State, a possibly bigger threat now than al Qaeda to American interests, the Middle East and the rest of the world.
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Meanwhile Thursday, cities across the nation are planning prayer services in remembrance of the attacks. The president and first lady Michelle Obama will lead a moment of silence on the South Lawn at the White House and later attend the annual September 11th Observance Ceremony at the Pentagon Memorial.
Meanwhile in lower Manhattan, the ceremony will again feature the reading of the names of the 2,983 men, women and children who died at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and on Flight 93 in Pennsylvania.
Following the ceremony, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum will be open to victims’ families and first responders.
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