Queen Elizabeth II addresses the September 11th attacks in her 2001 Christmas Message.
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Queen Elizabeth II orders the American National Anthem be played at Buckingham Palace on Sept. 13, 2001.
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Memories from the United Kingdom
1. "In London with my American who partner wanted to visit the school where I would be doing my Masters.
We spent a nice day walking around the campus when she gets a call on her cell from a friend. Apparently a small plane had just hit one of the Twin Towers. Weird - Must be an accident.
We're still walking when she gets another call about 10 minutes later. Another plane has hit the other tower.
We need to get in front of a TV fast so we head into the closest pub, which happens to be an Irish pub. Not just any Irish pub, either, one run by these Pakistani brothers. They know why we're there and direct us over to the TV, which is surrounded by people watching the tragic events unfold.
And that's how we watched the World Trade Center fall, on a TV in a Pakistani Irish Pub in London on a TV mounted above a cigarette machine with a picture of the Twin Towers on it.
To add to the stress, my partner's dad worked for the State Department and was at a meeting in DC. She couldn't get in touch him as all the circuits were busy and the news was reporting that a bomb had just gone off outside the building he was in.
We eventually got the tube back to our flat in Peckham. Everyone on the tube was talking about one thing.
My brother and a few trusted friends had keys to my flat. By the time we arrived home, the place was full of friends and family.
People had brought drinks, food and smokes with them. We all sat around and ate and drank and watched TV and talked into the night. Turned out her Dad was fine, just a bit busy.
Strangest day ever."
- Dean Valentine
We spent a nice day walking around the campus when she gets a call on her cell from a friend. Apparently a small plane had just hit one of the Twin Towers. Weird - Must be an accident.
We're still walking when she gets another call about 10 minutes later. Another plane has hit the other tower.
We need to get in front of a TV fast so we head into the closest pub, which happens to be an Irish pub. Not just any Irish pub, either, one run by these Pakistani brothers. They know why we're there and direct us over to the TV, which is surrounded by people watching the tragic events unfold.
And that's how we watched the World Trade Center fall, on a TV in a Pakistani Irish Pub in London on a TV mounted above a cigarette machine with a picture of the Twin Towers on it.
To add to the stress, my partner's dad worked for the State Department and was at a meeting in DC. She couldn't get in touch him as all the circuits were busy and the news was reporting that a bomb had just gone off outside the building he was in.
We eventually got the tube back to our flat in Peckham. Everyone on the tube was talking about one thing.
My brother and a few trusted friends had keys to my flat. By the time we arrived home, the place was full of friends and family.
People had brought drinks, food and smokes with them. We all sat around and ate and drank and watched TV and talked into the night. Turned out her Dad was fine, just a bit busy.
Strangest day ever."
- Dean Valentine
2. "I was in Belfast, Northern Ireland shopping with my older sister and was in a sports shop when news came on the radio that sounded like
'Airplane hits Empire State building.'
I presumed it was a light aircraft and kind of laughed to myself thinking, how blind do you have to be to crash into one of the tallest buildings on earth?
About an hour later I met up with the sister again and she dragged me into some shop like HMV and instead of playing music videos, every screen had CNN replaying the second tower falling. Without staying to hear more, we both decided it would be best to get home.
- C. T. C.
'Airplane hits Empire State building.'
I presumed it was a light aircraft and kind of laughed to myself thinking, how blind do you have to be to crash into one of the tallest buildings on earth?
About an hour later I met up with the sister again and she dragged me into some shop like HMV and instead of playing music videos, every screen had CNN replaying the second tower falling. Without staying to hear more, we both decided it would be best to get home.
- C. T. C.
3. "I was at work driving between assignments when news broke at 2:10 pm (GMT). My elder son was working in New York and I knew he had had business meetings in the World Trade Center so I drove straight home to try to phone him. Obviously the lines were solid and it took seven hours to make contact and to find out he was O.K. It was a very long day."
- Q. P.
- Q. P.
4. "We were just coming in from the yard after 'playtime' and as we entered our year 5 class room we all noticed our teacher Mr. Simpson had wheeled in a rickety old trolley with this massive, old-boxy television on it. We all got super excited and rushed in shouting 'Yay!' The teacher turned around and put a finger to his lips before telling us to all go and sit down. It freaked us out a bit because he was usually really loud and jolly. He turned the sound up and we all sat in silence watching the second tower get hit. Eventually, he turned it off and turned round to us,
'This is called terrorism.'
He walked to the back of the room and got out a pile of plain paper. He gave it out to us one by one and said,
'Lets write to our pen friends and let them know how sorry we are to hear about this.'
Three weeks earlier we had set up a pen pal system with a school in New York. My pen friend lost her uncle that day."
- Charlotte Ferguson
'This is called terrorism.'
He walked to the back of the room and got out a pile of plain paper. He gave it out to us one by one and said,
'Lets write to our pen friends and let them know how sorry we are to hear about this.'
Three weeks earlier we had set up a pen pal system with a school in New York. My pen friend lost her uncle that day."
- Charlotte Ferguson
5. "I was 17, didn’t hear the news for a couple of hours. The first plane hit at around 1:45 pm for us.
I was on the bus home when I got a text from my brother telling me that someone flew planes into the Twin Towers. I thought it was a sick joke.
If this is possible, then it could be us tomorrow! The world seemed to be ending! I asked out a guy I liked (figured it was the end of the world so would do no harm) and got turned down."
- V. G.
I was on the bus home when I got a text from my brother telling me that someone flew planes into the Twin Towers. I thought it was a sick joke.
If this is possible, then it could be us tomorrow! The world seemed to be ending! I asked out a guy I liked (figured it was the end of the world so would do no harm) and got turned down."
- V. G.
6. "I'd been signed off work with depression a week earlier, so I was lying on my bed listening to the radio when they announced that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Centre.
I obviously thought they meant a small private plane had hit but as I switched on CNN, I sat in absolute horror as the second plane hitt.
The rest of that day I was in front of the TV, watching as things just got worse and worse, barely believing my eyes. One thing was obvious though, just like when I saw the Berlin Wall come down on TV, history was being made and the world was changing.
One thing I do remember, Playboy ran an article shortly before where I first saw the name Usama bin Laden. Hearing that name getting connected with the attack seemed weirdly coincidental, as did the fact I'd been reading Tom Clancy's Debt of Honor the night before which described a plane being used as a weapon to hit the U.S. Capitol Building.
Because I had just started antidepressants, I couldn't shake the feeling that none of what I was watching was real rather than a dream. It wasn't until my wife got home and asked if I knew what had happened that I was entirely convinced it was real."
- Sterling
I obviously thought they meant a small private plane had hit but as I switched on CNN, I sat in absolute horror as the second plane hitt.
The rest of that day I was in front of the TV, watching as things just got worse and worse, barely believing my eyes. One thing was obvious though, just like when I saw the Berlin Wall come down on TV, history was being made and the world was changing.
One thing I do remember, Playboy ran an article shortly before where I first saw the name Usama bin Laden. Hearing that name getting connected with the attack seemed weirdly coincidental, as did the fact I'd been reading Tom Clancy's Debt of Honor the night before which described a plane being used as a weapon to hit the U.S. Capitol Building.
Because I had just started antidepressants, I couldn't shake the feeling that none of what I was watching was real rather than a dream. It wasn't until my wife got home and asked if I knew what had happened that I was entirely convinced it was real."
- Sterling
7. "I was 17, the attacks were unfolding early- mid afternoon our time. I got wind that something was happening from the TV in our common room at school, but it wasn't until I got home that my parents called me into the front room because,
'History is happening.'
I walked into the room just as the second plane hit, live on TV. At that point I think we all knew it wasn't an accident.
I had to go for a job interview at my local pub that afternoon, but when I got there the whole thing consisted of everyone just sitting round the TV.
In the days that followed, my mates and I kept getting kicked out of our (other) local pub, because the landlord was convinced we should be out running and exercising ready to be called up to go to war."
- T. F.
'History is happening.'
I walked into the room just as the second plane hit, live on TV. At that point I think we all knew it wasn't an accident.
I had to go for a job interview at my local pub that afternoon, but when I got there the whole thing consisted of everyone just sitting round the TV.
In the days that followed, my mates and I kept getting kicked out of our (other) local pub, because the landlord was convinced we should be out running and exercising ready to be called up to go to war."
- T. F.
8. "I was 6 years old and at school when it happened. I remember I had a friend come round after school and we got home just as one of the towers fell. I had no idea what had happened at the time, and thought it was just some kind of demolition. We were crowded around our tiny TV and watched as the tower went.
I distinctly remember my mum scolding me for waving 'bye-bye' to the tower. She said there were people in there and they had died.
It was only then that I realised the enormity of what had happened."
- Kirstie A.
I distinctly remember my mum scolding me for waving 'bye-bye' to the tower. She said there were people in there and they had died.
It was only then that I realised the enormity of what had happened."
- Kirstie A.
Channel 4 9/11 Program aired the night of September 11 2001.
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9. "I had just flown into Heathrow from Oslo that morning and took a train up to East Anglia to get home. I made a sandwich and was watching some cowboy film on Channel 4 when it suddenly froze, and Jon Snow the Channel 4 News anchor came on screen to say,
'We are receiving reports that a plane has struck the World Trade Centre in New York.' It was all very confused at the time, and initially they weren't sure if it was a small plane or not. Then they realised it was a passenger jet and some talking head was speculating that it couldn't be deliberate since flying a 767 was too complicated for a hijacker and needed extensive training. As this was going on the second plane struck. I remember thinking quite clearly that the world would never be the same again. Then the phone started ringing." - B. C. |
10. "I was 8 years old at school when the first plane hit, I remember the teachers putting the radio on and we all just listened. My friend had gone to New York the day before to see her Dad who lives there, I was frantically worried about her and convinced she had been hurt. Luckily she was safe and sound.
I went home from school and watched the news, so confused as to why this had happened. I didn't understand that it was other people who had done this at the time. Being only 8, my innocent mind went straight to thinking it was an accident. Even thinking back to that day now makes my blood cold, thinking of the thousands of people who were lost that day and the families that will be impacted forever because of it. I still have trouble grasping that people can be so malicious to each other over different beliefs."
- T. B.
I went home from school and watched the news, so confused as to why this had happened. I didn't understand that it was other people who had done this at the time. Being only 8, my innocent mind went straight to thinking it was an accident. Even thinking back to that day now makes my blood cold, thinking of the thousands of people who were lost that day and the families that will be impacted forever because of it. I still have trouble grasping that people can be so malicious to each other over different beliefs."
- T. B.
11. "I was four, had just got home from school when I found out. I didn't really get what was going on, I just remember a woman in a red coat or a red dress being interviewed, and they kept cutting away and then re-interviewing her. She was crying and I was a bit annoyed because I'd seen her already, but she kept re-appearing.
My dad told me that terrorists were evil and that they were worse than pirates, which I guess was my only reference point.
The 7/7 London bombings happened when I was nine. My cousin was on one of the buses, but had got off the bus earlier. That was when I spelled out "Osama Bin Laden" on the fridge in those magnetic letters...
- C. C.
My dad told me that terrorists were evil and that they were worse than pirates, which I guess was my only reference point.
The 7/7 London bombings happened when I was nine. My cousin was on one of the buses, but had got off the bus earlier. That was when I spelled out "Osama Bin Laden" on the fridge in those magnetic letters...
- C. C.
12. "I was 18 years old in Wales and on work placement while getting my childcare qualifications. I worked in two places, a nursery and an after school club. This meant I had 2.5 hours during the middle of the day where I would go home for lunch, catch up with the Australian soap operas on BBC and ITV and then go back to work. On that day, both channels went onto a rolling news setting and I just sat there stunned. I don't even remember watching the second tower being hit, though I must have seen it as our news programming took coverage from American affiliate networks.
When I left for work again, both towers were still standing but on fire. When I got into the after school club, both had collapsed. By the time I got home nearly 4 hours later, with little further, factual information, I was horrified to find out about the Pentagon and Flight 93. Mum and I were glued to the television late into the night. The skies here were quiet for some time after as the government was worried about targets within the UK. I remember it being the first time that people really had continued access to news and information via the internet. We didn't actually have internet in my house in 2001,so we were limited to news bulletins. Because I had never been abroad at that point, I have never known a time where I haven't had to take my shoes off or been allowed to take over-sized liquids/containers in hand luggage. I have seen some awful things in this world, but 9/11 was the day my innocence was first shattered. The sad thing is, people are forgetting what happened that day or know nothing about it."
- Sian E
When I left for work again, both towers were still standing but on fire. When I got into the after school club, both had collapsed. By the time I got home nearly 4 hours later, with little further, factual information, I was horrified to find out about the Pentagon and Flight 93. Mum and I were glued to the television late into the night. The skies here were quiet for some time after as the government was worried about targets within the UK. I remember it being the first time that people really had continued access to news and information via the internet. We didn't actually have internet in my house in 2001,so we were limited to news bulletins. Because I had never been abroad at that point, I have never known a time where I haven't had to take my shoes off or been allowed to take over-sized liquids/containers in hand luggage. I have seen some awful things in this world, but 9/11 was the day my innocence was first shattered. The sad thing is, people are forgetting what happened that day or know nothing about it."
- Sian E
13. "I was 13 years old, in geography class. Teacher brought the TV through to show a video on rivers or something like that. Turned on the TV and the news was playing. There was a live video of the first tower billowing smoke, the teacher just stood and stared open mouthed at the screen. We were just kids so didn't really understand the situation. Then out of nowhere a plane smashed into the other tower. There was an audible gasp at this point. The teacher turned to us, with a slight hint of excitement in his voice (not because of the situation, just because he was witnessing a major historical event live), and said,
'You will remember this exact moment for the rest of your lives.'
We were kids and just thought, 'Yeah, okay.'
He was right. I remember it like it was yesterday. I made it home from school just in time to sit in my Grandmas living room see the North Tower fall. Crazy day, even for us across the pond. I can't even begin to imagine how it would have felt to be a New Yorker, or even just as an American.
We never did watch that video about rivers."
- Daniel Magin-Waite
'You will remember this exact moment for the rest of your lives.'
We were kids and just thought, 'Yeah, okay.'
He was right. I remember it like it was yesterday. I made it home from school just in time to sit in my Grandmas living room see the North Tower fall. Crazy day, even for us across the pond. I can't even begin to imagine how it would have felt to be a New Yorker, or even just as an American.
We never did watch that video about rivers."
- Daniel Magin-Waite
14. "I had left secondary school, stopped for a haircut and then headed back to the home my mother and I shared with her partner and children.
I remember clear as day walking into home, through the kitchen and into the living to see the news showing the plane's impact on loop.
The footage looked and just felt unreal, like something from a bad disaster movie. I asked my mother what it was and I remember not really believing that this was the news.
Sadly as more footage was shown and the horrible events that day unfolded on our screen it became apparent that the events on the television were real. At the time, I wasn't able to really grasp just what an effect this would have on society or the world but it was clear that this would change everything.
I spent the rest of the evening in my room with the TV off and in the adjacent living room sat our parents and their friends in stunned and relatively silent"
- Luke H.
I remember clear as day walking into home, through the kitchen and into the living to see the news showing the plane's impact on loop.
The footage looked and just felt unreal, like something from a bad disaster movie. I asked my mother what it was and I remember not really believing that this was the news.
Sadly as more footage was shown and the horrible events that day unfolded on our screen it became apparent that the events on the television were real. At the time, I wasn't able to really grasp just what an effect this would have on society or the world but it was clear that this would change everything.
I spent the rest of the evening in my room with the TV off and in the adjacent living room sat our parents and their friends in stunned and relatively silent"
- Luke H.