September 11, 2001. It was a Tuesday. The air in New York City was crisp, the sky was blue, deep blue, extreme blue some have said. Not a single cloud.
Details about that day and that date may not mean anything special to you. But they probably mean something special to people your parents’ age and other adults. For many people, you need only say, “September 11.” They’ll know exactly what you’re talking about. No need to even say the year.
September 11 was the day so many things changed. For the first time since the British burned down the White House in 1814, the continental United States was attacked. In Manhattan (one of New York City’s five boroughs). In Washington, D.C. And in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. The attacks were carried out by 19 terrorists connected to al-Qaeda, an Islamist militant group. They hijacked four commercial airplanes and used them as weapons. The events took place in a matter of hours. They started early that Tuesday morning.