Polls: 9/11 Remains One of Americans’ Most Historic Life Events/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Twenty-five years later, about half of U.S. adults identify the Sept. 11 attacks as one of the most important historic events of their lifetimes. Polls show the attacks continue to influence Americans’ memories and sense of security, although younger adults are more likely to identify COVID-19 as a defining event. Only about 1 in 10 Americans plans to commemorate the anniversary, while public confidence in the government’s ability to prevent terrorism has declined since 2001.
Quick Look
- About half of U.S. adults named 9/11 as a major historic event in their lifetimes.
- The COVID-19 pandemic was mentioned by 31% of respondents.
- About 9 in 10 said the attacks significantly affected the United States.
- Roughly 3 in 10 said 9/11 permanently changed how they live.
- Adults under 35 were more likely to identify COVID-19 than 9/11 as a defining event.
- Only about 1 in 10 Americans plans to commemorate the 25th anniversary.
- Government confidence on preventing terrorism has fallen from 88% shortly after the attacks to 55%.
- About one-third worry that they or a family member could become a terrorism victim.
Deep Look
Sept. 11 remains a defining historic event
WASHINGTON (AP)- Twenty-five years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, many Americans continue to rank the event among the most important moments of their lifetimes.
About half of U.S. adults named 9/11 when an Ipsos poll asked respondents, in an open-ended question, to identify up to five of the most important historic events they had experienced. The attacks ranked ahead of the more recent COVID-19 pandemic, which was mentioned by 31% of respondents.
Americans also cited the elections of Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, space exploration and the fall of the Berlin Wall. Among adults 65 and older, 9/11 was followed by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, space expeditions and the Vietnam War.
The findings indicate that 9/11 retains a powerful place in American memory even as a growing share of the population was either not born when the attacks occurred or was too young to understand them.
Memories remain vivid for those who experienced the attacks
The vast majority of Americans who were alive at the time remember where they were when they learned about the attacks.
Kevin Noel, 51, was heading to work near the World Trade Center when he emerged from a subway station and watched the catastrophe unfold. He said the smell from the deadly fire still comes back to him when he visits the area.
Noel considers 9/11 the most historic event of his lifetime and believes “we’re going to be remembering this for the rest of history.” He plans to spend Friday reflecting privately.
“Every Sept. 11, I just — it’s a traumatic day for me where I just go silent,” Noel said.
Clara Kiel, 88, said World War II had a greater personal impact because it overshadowed her childhood and affected people she knew. But she also remembered the shock of watching the Sept. 11 attacks on television.
“It always seems like there’s something in history that changes the way people think,” said Kiel, a retired secretary in Onamia, Minnesota. “9/11 did it for the generation that grew up through that.”
Younger Americans view 9/11 through history
The generational picture differs among adults under 35. About half of them identified the COVID-19 pandemic as one of their lifetimes’ most important events, while roughly one-third mentioned the Sept. 11 attacks.
Many younger adults were not alive in 2001 or were too young to remember what happened. About 6 in 10 adults born after the attacks said they first learned about 9/11 in a classroom or through schoolwork, according to an August Pew Research Center poll.
That distinction means 9/11 is becoming a subject of historical education rather than personal memory for a growing portion of the country.
Kainoa Ilac, an 18-year-old Californian preparing to attend college in Los Angeles, learned about the attacks from his parents, who are history teachers.
“I think that I and a lot of my peers in my generation still feel the effects of that day,” Ilac said, pointing to airport security and greater awareness of the government’s ability to monitor communications.
Americans see a broad national impact
About 9 in 10 Americans said the attacks affected the United States “a great deal” or “quite a bit,” according to Ipsos. Around 7 in 10 said 9/11 had at least “quite a bit” of impact on the world, while approximately 6 in 10 said the attacks significantly affected their generation.
The personal impact was less widespread but remained substantial. Nearly 3 in 10 said the attacks significantly affected them or their families, with adults 50 and older particularly likely to report a personal effect.
Separate Gallup polling found that about 3 in 10 U.S. adults said they permanently changed how they live because of the attacks.
Lakesha Crowell, 40, remembers sitting in a sophomore world history class in Meridian, Mississippi, when her teacher announced that two planes had struck the World Trade Center.
Crowell recalled the subsequent security changes, economic consequences and heightened public vigilance. She also remembered that some people began viewing foreigners differently.
“It affected us a lot, because it changed our way of living, and it changed our way of thinking,” Crowell said.
Few Americans plan public commemorations
Despite the attacks’ lasting importance, only about 1 in 10 U.S. adults said they planned to commemorate the 25th anniversary.
Among those planning to observe the day, about 7 in 10 intended to participate in a moment of silence. Most, 56%, said they would display an American flag.
Others, including Noel and Kiel, planned to reflect privately rather than join organized ceremonies.
Americans are divided over whether the country is safer
Americans do not agree on whether the United States has become safer from foreign attacks since 9/11.
About one-third said the country is safer, while a similar share said it is less safe. Roughly another third said the level of safety is about the same as it was before the attacks. Republicans were more likely than Democrats to say the country had become safer.
Gallup found that 55% of U.S. adults had “a great deal” or “a fair amount” of confidence in the federal government’s ability to protect citizens from future terrorist acts. That compares with 88% in polling conducted shortly after the 2001 attacks.
The latest figure is among the lowest recorded during Gallup’s 25-year trend, indicating a substantial decline in public confidence even as personal fear of terrorism has also decreased.
Worry about terrorism has declined
About one-third of Americans said they were “very” or “somewhat” worried that they or a family member could become a victim of terrorism. Immediately after Sept. 11, approximately 6 in 10 expressed that concern.
David Bronkhurst, 49, of Bloomingdale, New Jersey, remembers his former partner volunteering at the World Trade Center site by distributing supplies to rescue and recovery workers. He also said friends changed careers to become firefighters, while other friends serving in the New York City Police Department later died from cancers linked to toxic exposure at ground zero.
Bronkhurst plans to participate in an annual candlelight procession. Although he does not believe the country is safer than it was before the attacks, he said he does not spend much time worrying that terrorism will directly affect his family.
“You can’t go through life being scared,” he said.
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