21st Century: Terrorism, Recession & COVID‑19

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COVID‑19 Pandemic

The 2020 outbreak of the infectious respiratory disease known as COVID‑19 triggered one of the deadliest pandemics in modern history.

On September 11, 2001—a clear, sunny, late summer day—al Qaeda terrorists aboard three hijacked passenger planes carried out coordinated suicide attacks against the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon near Washington, D.C., killing everyone on board the planes and nearly 3,000 people on the ground. A fourth plane crashed into a […]

Great Recession

What Is A Recession? A recession is a decline or stagnation in economic growth, but the economic indicators used to define the term “recession” have changed over time. Since the Great Recession, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has described a “global recession” as a decline in real per‑capita world gross domestic product (GDP), as supported […]

A Timeline of the U.S.‑Led War on Terror

America Responds to 9/11 • Sept. 11, 2001: Terrorists hijack four U.S. planes, crashing two into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan, while a third hits the U.S. Pentagon minutes later. The fourth plane, targeted to hit the White House, crashes in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers attacked the […]

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September 11th: Why We Remember

Volunteers from the 9/11 Tribute Center reflect on the importance of sharing their stories of 9/11 with future generations.

Here’s Why the Patriot Act Is So Controversial

Passed after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Patriot Act has created new rules on surveillance and national security in the U.S. See why some believe it has kept the country safer, while others believe it violates Americans’ constitutional rights.

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World Trade Center

New Yorkers reflect on what the symbol of the Twin Towers meant to them and to the world.

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The 9/11 Flag: Lost and Found

Shirley Dreifus, owner of the now‑iconic flag raised at Ground Zero on September 11, 2001, tells the incredible story of the flag’s role in the recovery, its disappearance, and the search to find it again.

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