USA TODAY is asking readers to share personal memories of Sept. 11, 2001, for its 25th anniversary coverage. The attacks began at 8:46 a.m. Eastern when hijacked planes struck the World Trade Center and the Pentagon; a third plane crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. In total, 2,977 people died. Selected reader submissions may be featured in USA TODAY Network reporting; use the submission form to contribute your account.
Where Were You on Sept. 11, 2001? USA TODAY Invites Reader Memories for the 25th Anniversary
Julie Sweeney Roth attends the National 9/11 Memorial during the ceremony commemorating the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, in New York, on Sept. 11, 2021.
Maybe you were driving to work when the news broke over your car radio 25 years ago. Or perhaps a teacher wheeled a television into your classroom and you watched, along with classmates, as the Twin Towers collapsed and the Pentagon smoldered.
Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, began as a bright, late-summer morning on the U.S. East Coast. At 8:46 a.m. Eastern, that morning turned to horror as hijacked planes struck New York City's World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and another crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. In all, 2,977 people died on the ground and aboard the aircraft.
Few of us who lived through that day can forget where we were, what we were doing, or who we were with when the attacks unfolded: the moment you first heard the news, the phone calls that followed, the shared silence or stunned conversations. Some passengers on one flight fought back, sacrificing themselves to prevent further attacks; their actions remain a powerful legacy of courage.
Share Your Memory
USA TODAY is collecting reader reflections to mark the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11. We want your firsthand account: where you were, how you first learned of the attacks, what you saw, how you felt in the hours and days that followed, and what this day means to you now.
Please share your story through USA TODAY's submission form. Selected submissions may be included in USA TODAY Network coverage commemorating the anniversary.
If possible, include an approximate date and location, and a brief detail you remember most clearly. Photos or short audio/video clips are welcome if the submission form supports them.
Privacy note: By submitting, you acknowledge that USA TODAY may use excerpts of your submission in print and online stories. Thank you for helping preserve personal memories of this pivotal day.
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