9/11 - A Date Americans Will Never Forget!

Tomorrow is 9/11, a date that will be forever etched on the mind of every American. That's because it was on this very day in 2001, that almost 3,000 innocent people lost their lives thanks to what will go down in history as one of the most daring and unusual terrorist attacks. Today, 11 years after the tragic event we tip our hats to all the victims and the unsung heroes that came together and saved the nation from what could have been an even worse tragedy. For those of you too young to remember this terrible day here, is a brief synopsis.

On September 11th, 2001, 19 terrorists split into four groups, each with an expert pilot, hijacked four commercial flights - United Flight 93 from New Jersey, American Flight 77 from Washington D.C. and United Flight 175 and American Flight 11, both from Boston. The flights were all selected because they were heading across the country either to Los Angeles or San Francisco and therefore, loaded with fuel.

Two made their way to the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, hitting the high-rises at 8.46am and 9.03am respectively, while the third flew to Virginia and crashed into the Pentagon at 9.37am. The fourth, United Flight 93 was believed to have been making its way straight to the Capitol or White House. However, the brave passengers thwarted the terrorists' efforts - While they did succeed in diverting the flight and preventing thousands of more deaths, they were not as successful in saving themselves. The plane crashed in an empty field outside Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killing all 44 passengers.

For those who were at the scene or watched the entire chain of events unfold on live television, it was like having a nightmare or watching a horror movie. At the end of it all, 3,000 innocent people lost their lives with the impact rippling through to thousands of families, who even after eleven years are trying to make sense of this unnecessary act of violence.

September 11, 2001 was truly a tragedy of epic proportions - One that will never be forgotten. However, similar to other tragic events like the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, it has made us more resilient and come together as a nation - Regardless of color, creed or gender, which is something we should all be proud of.

So be sure to take some time tomorrow to remember all those who lost their lives on that fateful day and continue to do so, in the ongoing war against terrorism that the world has been involved in, since.

Resources: cnn.com, wikipedia.org