On a clear and cool Tuesday morning in 2001, two Boeing 767s whizzed low through the skies and barrelled into the World Trade Centre. About 50 minutes later, about 320km southwest, on a similarly crisp morning in Virginia, a Boeing 757 plunged into the Pentagon. The cultural, financial and military nerve-centres of the US under attack like never before.
The strikes by al Qaeda rattled America, sent shockwaves through planet, and reshaped global geopolitical fabric. But 25 years later, a growing number of Americans have fading memories of 9/11, because they weren't yet born. About 104 million Americans, or 31% of country's population, were born after attacks, according to analysis of 2020-24 Census data published September 8.
The slide is stark enough that a new Netflix documentary, Turning Point: 9/11, is entirely around it. Its director says US is nearing point where more than half of Americans were either born after attacks or too young to remember them.
Among Americans who are 30 today - who were five when they heard news - 93% among those who were at least 10 at time remember where they were. By 34, that number is 84%. At 38, it touches 90% for every older cohort. Overall, 83% of older cohort recall moment clearly.
But for everyone born after, attacks were matter of lesson in class or YouTube video. Gallup found 18 to 34-year-olds first learned about 9/11 in school - 18 in class, 16% through schoolwork, 16% from family and friends, 8% on their own. School makes school primary channel carrying 9/11 forward.
And what is school teaching? Jeremy Stoddard and Diana Hess, University of Wisconsin, tracked how American secondary schools teach attacks since 2002. They found fairly fixed classroom narrative - unprecedented attack, first time on continental US, world rallying behind US. This, they argue, can end up reinforcing suspicion of Muslims. Their pitch now is for teaching to be about effects and repercussions, apart from terror strikes themselves.
Gen Z fear is sourced within tracker shows 37% of Americans are worried today about becoming victim of terrorism, down from 58% night of 9/11. Confidence in government's ability to protect citizens has fallen to 55% from 88% in days after. A YouGov survey published August 31 found 51% Americans favour making Sept 11 federal holiday, 25% only 25% said it impacted their only 25% said it impacted their world. But political representation changed - no Muslim members of Congress in 2001, five now, with Zohran Mamdani sworn as NYC's first Muslim mayor earlier this year. FBI data: anti-Muslim hate crimes jumped to 481 in 2001 from 28.
For Angie Casilado at memorial, "There's no timeline for grief." For 31%, grief must be taught.