21st Century: Terrorism, Recession & COVID‑19

How Decades of Instability Gave Rise to Al‑Qaeda and the 9/11 Attacks

Learn how decades of violence and volatility created the conditions for Al‑Qaeda to rise and attack the U.S. on September 11, 2001. Understand how U.S. intelligence failed to anticipate the 9/11 attacks, despite growing threats and warning signs.

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The 9/11 Survivor Tree

In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks, a callery pear tree emerged from the rubble.

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Here’s What ISIS Believes and How It Came to Be

Learn about the origins of ISIS and its leader Abu Musab al‑Zarqawi, who terrorized Iraq’s Shia Muslims with suicide bombers. Discover how successor Abu Bakr al‑Baghdadi used social media to spread international terrorism before the group weakened.

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Here’s What Caused the Great Recession

Discover the confluence of events that prompted the Great Recession in America and its main culprit: the subprime mortgage housing crisis. Learn how the Great Recession affected the economy and how it differed from the Great Depression of the 1930s.

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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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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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Stories From 9/11: Pentagon Employee Bruce Powers

Bruce Powers, a volunteer at the 9/11 Tribute Center and Pentagon employee for over sixteen years, reflects on the events of attack on the Pentagon.

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September 11th: How Did It Change Your Life?

Fifteen years later, volunteers from the 9/11 Tribute Center describe how the events of September 11, 2001 changed their lives.

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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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Remembering 9/11: The Pentagon Attack

President George W. Bush, Donald Rumsfeld and others look back on the attack on the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.

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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.

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The 9/11 Generation

Take a look at how 9/11 became a benchmark for whole generations of young Americans, influencing their attitudes about service, terror, and hope.

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