In the United States, Patriot Day occurs on September 11 each year in memory of the 2,977 people killed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on America. The September 11 attacks, sometimes referred to as 9/11, were a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks against the United States. On the morning of September 11, four passenger airliners departing from northeastern U.S. airports and heading to California were hijacked.
At 8:46 am, Eastern Standard Time, American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City.
At 9:03, United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center.
At 9:37, Flight 77 crashed into the western façade of the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.
By 9:42 am, for the first time in American history, all flights over or bound for the United States were grounded.
At 9:59, the South Tower collapsed.
At 10:07, the passengers and crew of Flight 93, after learning about the attacks in New York and Washington, attempted to retake their plane from the terrorists aboard. In response, the terrorists crashed the plane into a field in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.
At 10:28 the World Trade Center North Tower collapsed.
At 8:30 pm, President George W. Bush, who started his day in an elementary school in Sarasota, Florida, addressed the nation from the White House, calling the attacks “evil, despicable acts of terror” and declaring that America, along with its friends and allies around the world, would “stand together to win the war against terrorism.” The attack had a profound impact on the United States and the rest of the world.
On December 18, 2001, President Bush signed the resolution into law proclaiming September 11 as Patriot Day to remember and honor those who died. Since 2002, on September 11, the American flag is flown at half mast, a moment of silence is observed at 8:46 am, and Americans are encouraged to display flags in and outside of their homes. On September 11, 2011, ten years after the attacks, the World Trade Center Memorial was opened to the public.