Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
September 11th, 2001: Where were you?
- Thread starter NYR99
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I was 11years old, it was another school morning at my middle school. I was in the 6th grade. I really didn't hear about what was happening till school ended and I came back home and saw my entire family and even my great-grandmother glued to the TV and I saw images of the Twin Towers on fire and replays of the towers collapsing
Also that same day for the first time ever I didn't hear a sound of a single plane over LA (I live near LAX, planes practically pass over my house every 10-20 mins or so..)
Complete Silence
That's exactly how it was in Vegas, and I was on my way to watch them. Normally from about 6am to 2am, you can count every landing and departure at 30 seconds to 1 minute intervals; every 3 to 5 miles apart at 140mph over the ground.
That day, nothing.. and even more frightening, it generally takes 45 minutes to go from one end of Las Vegas Blvd. to the other (airport to downtown). That day: 15, and that was with catching red lights.
For Las Vegas to go silent speaks volumes.
BL.
I was about 12, in the car with my mum driving to pick up some last minute ingredients for the meal she was planning to cook for dinner. About half way to the store, my dad calls her mobile and fills her in. I didn't really understand what was happening, but remember having this knot in my stomach. For my dad to call from work midday, the news had to be pretty serious.
How long did it take you and your classmates to realize that you were going to be soldiers in a war unlike any other in history?
I think it took a while to really set in. I don't remember really. There was a lot of speculation going around the barracks though.
Was living in Las Vegas in the time (like bradl) and was woken up by my parents to watch the events unfold on the TV. It didn't register as a critical event for me (was 9 at the time) and I went to school beaming with excitement that "buildings in New York blew up," which rightfully earned me scorn from teachers at my elementary school. There were fewer kids in school at the time, and I remember striking a conversation with a boy who lived right next to the school, speaking directly over the fence, who told me his parents prevented him from going out of fear. It wasn't really until a few days later that the gravity of the situation hit me, and I felt pretty guilty afterward.
I visited Ground Zero three and nine years afterward (the latter occurring on the ninth anniversary after I moved into the city). Harrowing experiences, although the fact that it appeared to be cheapened to a lesser July 4th celebration from when I saw it a year ago kind of irks me.
I visited Ground Zero three and nine years afterward (the latter occurring on the ninth anniversary after I moved into the city). Harrowing experiences, although the fact that it appeared to be cheapened to a lesser July 4th celebration from when I saw it a year ago kind of irks me.
I was a junior in HS and was in my calc class when we were told. Teacher blew it off but in all my other periods, we watched the news
I was in the 5th grade. I was going from my science class to my history class. We were single file, and we all noticed the teachers standing outside the doorway with this look on their face of mixed fear and shock. We didn't know what was going on, until we went inside the class.
The teacher started saying that "Today you will be witnessing history, not learning it..." and she proceeded to turn the TV on.
We watched, and after a few minutes, we realized what it was that we were watching.
This was the scariest day, and the day I remember most of any other day.
The teacher started saying that "Today you will be witnessing history, not learning it..." and she proceeded to turn the TV on.
We watched, and after a few minutes, we realized what it was that we were watching.
This was the scariest day, and the day I remember most of any other day.
I was in third grade, my dad came to pick me up and took me home and sat me down on the couch and watched the coverage...
Sad day for all Americans
Sad day for all Americans
I was a Junior in HS, but had stayed home that day because of an eye appointment. I was still laying in bed watching the Today show, trying to wake up. Matt Lauer was interviewing some guy and then interupted and said they had a breaking story and went to commercial. When they came back I remember there was speculation if a bomb had exploded or if a plane had hit the first tower. That was until the second tower was hit and then it started to dawn on everyone that this was a deliberate attack.
Through out the ride to the doc's office and during the appointment, news kept unfolding about all of the events. By the time I got to school everyone had heard about it and all of the classes were tuned into the news. I remember the next few weeks being a very uncertain time.
Through out the ride to the doc's office and during the appointment, news kept unfolding about all of the events. By the time I got to school everyone had heard about it and all of the classes were tuned into the news. I remember the next few weeks being a very uncertain time.
I was working for a bank at the time and on a conference call with colleagues in New York; they had offices in One World Financial Center and saw the first plane hit from their meeting room window.
The shock and confusion of that room was apparent. There was gasps as they saw the plane hit and I remember one woman exclaiming "Dear god!". After a few moments the room went silent, then the leader over there said "We have to go; a plane just hit the World Trade Centre."; before he hung up we heard their building's fire alarm go off.
At first we thought it might be a small plane and an accident; of course we were wrong. We spent the rest of the morning watching the news unfold and the chaos ensue.
Most of my thoughts were with the folks I spoke to on a daily basis at Cantor Fitzgerald in my previous role at the bank. From their address I knew they worked in one of the WTC towers... Chances are they died that day; they were good people.
The shock and confusion of that room was apparent. There was gasps as they saw the plane hit and I remember one woman exclaiming "Dear god!". After a few moments the room went silent, then the leader over there said "We have to go; a plane just hit the World Trade Centre."; before he hung up we heard their building's fire alarm go off.
At first we thought it might be a small plane and an accident; of course we were wrong. We spent the rest of the morning watching the news unfold and the chaos ensue.
Most of my thoughts were with the folks I spoke to on a daily basis at Cantor Fitzgerald in my previous role at the bank. From their address I knew they worked in one of the WTC towers... Chances are they died that day; they were good people.
In 6th grade English class. We stopped class and started watching the news. Shortly after kids were getting checked out of school left and right, it was crazy. The thing was, at that age, you realize planes ran in to a building so it seems crazy, but you don't grasp the whole terrorism/war/attack idea. Crazy, crazy day.
Gave me chills reading that. I remember that day so vividly.
Gave me chills reading that. I remember that day so vividly.
About 9am (central time), I was riding the crew bus into the airport terminal to start a trip out of the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St.Paul, Mn) and the bus driver had a portable radio turned on...something about an airplane that had flown into one of the World Trade Towers. Stupidly I remember thinking it was a small airplane, how could that happen?
Originally my flight was supposed to leave at 10am. Standing by the gate, my flight kept posting a later and later departure time, the gate agent had no idea. I called Crew Scheduling and got a recording. Finally after the departure time of my flight was pushed past 4 hours from the original time, I just went home. It was not until later I realized the entire U.S. Aviation Traffic Control System had been shut down (and would remain so for a couple of days). Every airplane over the U.S and inbound to the U.S. (I think) were told to land immediately. I remember thinking, what people can do to each other and our lives have been changed for the duration.
Originally my flight was supposed to leave at 10am. Standing by the gate, my flight kept posting a later and later departure time, the gate agent had no idea. I called Crew Scheduling and got a recording. Finally after the departure time of my flight was pushed past 4 hours from the original time, I just went home. It was not until later I realized the entire U.S. Aviation Traffic Control System had been shut down (and would remain so for a couple of days). Every airplane over the U.S and inbound to the U.S. (I think) were told to land immediately. I remember thinking, what people can do to each other and our lives have been changed for the duration.
Working at an investment bank in London.
We heard the news pretty much as soon as it happened, as I had colleagues working in 7 World Trade Center.
I called/texted a couple of friends and family to tell them to get to a TV set and watch what was going on.
Throughout the afternoon we were glued to various web sites - and the company put CNN on over the projector in the company auditorium.
Our office was affected - but luckily everyone escaped. Had a lot of work to do over the next few days as we worked around computer systems that had been destroyed - and some volunteers camped out in Lower Manhattan to keep things running (in other buildings that were behind the police cordon).
It affected people I worked with in a variety of ways. These guys had been sitting having meetings and seeing debris (and people) falling down past their window. Some people took the opportunity to reassess their lives... this had put their work and relationships into context, and they changed jobs to spend more time with their families.
We heard the news pretty much as soon as it happened, as I had colleagues working in 7 World Trade Center.
I called/texted a couple of friends and family to tell them to get to a TV set and watch what was going on.
Throughout the afternoon we were glued to various web sites - and the company put CNN on over the projector in the company auditorium.
Our office was affected - but luckily everyone escaped. Had a lot of work to do over the next few days as we worked around computer systems that had been destroyed - and some volunteers camped out in Lower Manhattan to keep things running (in other buildings that were behind the police cordon).
It affected people I worked with in a variety of ways. These guys had been sitting having meetings and seeing debris (and people) falling down past their window. Some people took the opportunity to reassess their lives... this had put their work and relationships into context, and they changed jobs to spend more time with their families.
I was working at a weekly newspaper here in SC at the time. I got to work about the same time as the boss. With kind of a grin - mostly because I don't think he believed it himself - he told me that one, possibly two planes had hit the WTC. Naturally, I was thinking a small Cessna or something.
We had no TVs in the office. And the internet and telephone were not working that day (no relation to the attacks). The only source of news coverage was from NPR.
And nothing I imagined that day about the attacks came anywhere close to what I saw on the TV when I got home that day.
We had no TVs in the office. And the internet and telephone were not working that day (no relation to the attacks). The only source of news coverage was from NPR.
And nothing I imagined that day about the attacks came anywhere close to what I saw on the TV when I got home that day.
I was sitting at home on the computer when they broke in on my local news to tell about the first tower. I was still watching as the reporter was on the street in New York as the second plane flew into the other tower and feelingso confused about what was happening. I was also on the phone talking to my mom as she was watching also. We were both quiet for a few minutes.
I had to go to work at 5PM so I had to get some sleep a short time later. My mom called me about 3PM and let me know that the towers had collapsed and wondering how that could happen.
Later that night, I was out working and seeing all the long lines at the gas stations.
I had to go to work at 5PM so I had to get some sleep a short time later. My mom called me about 3PM and let me know that the towers had collapsed and wondering how that could happen.
Later that night, I was out working and seeing all the long lines at the gas stations.
Here in Oz
I was sitting at my desk reading emails on my TAM at about 7am Darwin time (5:30pm New York time, Sept 11) when my fiancee called out to me from downstairs. She said there was something really wrong with the tv, and that something bad had happened.
She "couldn't" change the channel... because every (free to air) channel here in Oz was showing the exact same thing... as in, EXACTLY the same newsfeed, coming from one of the major US news sources.
There was not alot of voice-over to explain what had happened... I remember thinking... Someone has bombed the USA... Nothing else made sense, looking at the footage of ash covered New York streets...
Eventually my fiancee and I went to our respective jobs... I worked in a 6 storey office building... and yes, even at that level that day we talked about evacuations and likelihood (ie minimal, but still) of an attempted attack... We had the radio on all day, and I had left a VHS tape in the VCR just taping the whole day's news... not that I've ever watched it...
My fiancee had a much harder time. She worked in childcare, and had a bunch of kids to look after, who were too young to comprehend... but old enough to know something was wrong by the faces of their parents and other adults. I know in her centre, they did a lot of hopping in and out of the staffroom to get any new information, and to have some time out...
For what it's worth (not much, now), I just would like to say I think it's sad that the towers have not been rebuilt "as was"... (that is to say, at least outwardly, with better structural designs inside). Yes, I know I'm not from New York, nor even American, but if the Sydney Opera House had been destroyed by terrorism, I know I'd have wanted it rebuilt...
I was sitting at my desk reading emails on my TAM at about 7am Darwin time (5:30pm New York time, Sept 11) when my fiancee called out to me from downstairs. She said there was something really wrong with the tv, and that something bad had happened.
She "couldn't" change the channel... because every (free to air) channel here in Oz was showing the exact same thing... as in, EXACTLY the same newsfeed, coming from one of the major US news sources.
There was not alot of voice-over to explain what had happened... I remember thinking... Someone has bombed the USA... Nothing else made sense, looking at the footage of ash covered New York streets...
Eventually my fiancee and I went to our respective jobs... I worked in a 6 storey office building... and yes, even at that level that day we talked about evacuations and likelihood (ie minimal, but still) of an attempted attack... We had the radio on all day, and I had left a VHS tape in the VCR just taping the whole day's news... not that I've ever watched it...
My fiancee had a much harder time. She worked in childcare, and had a bunch of kids to look after, who were too young to comprehend... but old enough to know something was wrong by the faces of their parents and other adults. I know in her centre, they did a lot of hopping in and out of the staffroom to get any new information, and to have some time out...
For what it's worth (not much, now), I just would like to say I think it's sad that the towers have not been rebuilt "as was"... (that is to say, at least outwardly, with better structural designs inside). Yes, I know I'm not from New York, nor even American, but if the Sydney Opera House had been destroyed by terrorism, I know I'd have wanted it rebuilt...
Sitting in 7th grade math class. Heard the announcement over the loudspeaker. A tv was brought in and we all just watched everything happen for the rest of the day. Nobody at our age really knew what to think about it at the time..
At school in 2nd grade, probably. The only thing I remember about 2nd grade is the name of the teacher. I would not be able to point out my homeroom/advisory if in the (now torn down) school building today.
EDIT: And that school computers were iMacs running Mac OS 9
EDIT: And that school computers were iMacs running Mac OS 9