September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attack/Aftermath

Overview -- Background history -- September 11 -- Rest of September -- October -- Aftermath

2001

November

Thursday, November 1, 2001

Afternoon: Deputy Mayor Anthony P. Coles[?] meets with the two firefighter union leaders, Fire Capt. Peter L. Gorman[?], president of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association[?] and Kevin E. Gallagher[?], president of the Uniformed Firefighters Association[?], at City Hall to discuss the firefighters' unhappiness with the October 31 decision.

Night: The unions fax a notice to the New York firefighters to hold a demonstration on Friday morning.

Near midnight: Rudy Giuliani calls from Yankee Stadium at the World Series to Fire Commissioner Thomas Von Essen[?] about talk of a protest.

Friday, November 2, 2001

approx. 10:30 a.m. EST Emotions spill over into violence at a two-hour protest by several hundred to a thousand firefighters near City Hall, beginning at West and Chambers Streets, to protest Giuliani's October 31st ruling to reduce the number of firefighters permitted at the World Trade Center site from 64 to 25. After firefighter Mike Heffernan, brother of John Heffernan[?], retired fire captain Bill Butler, father of Tommy Butler[?], and Kevin E. Gallagher[?], the president of the Uniformed Firefighters Association[?], speak, the assembled protesters push aside a barricade and begin walking south down West Street. At the next barricade the police move in, punches are thrown, and firefighters handcuffed. Both sides shout for understanding, and the conflict quickly subsides. The firefighters then march out to the applause of construction workers, the protest breaking up around 12:30 p.m.

12 firefighters (including four ranking fire officers and one fire marshal) are arrested and taken to the 28th Precinct station house in central Harlem. 5 police officers are injured, two with black eyes and facial trauma, three with neck, shoulder and back injuries.

Monday, November 12 2001

Crash of American Airlines Flight 587 - (early indications a few hours after the crash are that it is not terrorist-related and these indications are later confirmed.)

December

December 19, 2001

The World Trade Center fire was finally extinguished after burning for three months

2002

March

Monday, March 11, 2002

On the six-month anniversary of the attack, numerous ceremonies of remembrance take place.

Huffman Aviation[?] receives a letter from the Immigration and Naturalization Service saying that Mohammed Atta and Marwan al-Shehhi[?] had been approved for student visas to study there.

The Tribute in Light project begins.

Tuesday, March 12, 2002

The remains of at least 11 firefighters and several civilians are found when recovery workers reach the site of what had been the south tower lobby.

May

Tuesday, May 28, 2002

The last steel beam standing at the World Trade Center site is cut down and placed on a flatbed truck in a quiet ceremony.

August

Monday, August 19, 2002

The New York City medical examiner releases an updated list of World Trade Center casualties. There were 2819 killed or missing, 4 less than the Police Department list which had been the best official tally publicly released. One name removed was that of a woman who had been listed under both her maiden and married names. The other three were of people reported missing once by people who had since not been in contact with New York City officials.

Tuesday, August 20, 2002

Police determine that Albert John Vaughan[?], 45, and George V. Sims[?], 46, missing and presumed dead, are alive. Vaughan has been a patient at the Rockland Psychiatric Center in Orangeburg, N.Y. Sims is a patient with amnesia and schizophrenia at a Manhattan hospital.

August 27, 2002

The Newark Star-Ledger reports that George V. Sims[?] is alive. By this point at least 7 people on the August 19 list have been found; there are now 2812 killed or presumed dead.

September

September 7, 2002

The New York City medical examiner releases a new list of World Trade Center deaths. The new list is 22 less than the previous one. The death toll now stands at 2801, including the dead on the airplanes but not the 10 hijackers.

September 10, 2002

USA goes on high security alert as anniversary approaches. Other countries such as the UK go on similar alert status.

Al-Jazeera releases videotapes of four of the September 11 hijackers - Ahmed Alnami, Hamza Alghamdi, Ahmed Alghamdi and Wail Alshehri. All four are seen talking to the camera.

September 11, 2002

First anniversary memorials and services

Remembrance services are held throughout the USA.

The ceremony at New York, broadcast throughout the world, falls an hour behind schedule, but is well attended. The ceremony included the reading out of the names of all the persons who died there (on both the planes and the World Trade Centre) and the recitals of American historical speeches such as the Gettysburg Address. Moments of silence are observed at 8:46 AM and 9:03 AM, the moments when the two planes struck the two towers, and church bells ring at 9:59 AM and 10:29 AM, the moment at which the South and North towers respectively collapsed.

The private ceremony at The Pentagon is also well-attended, and included the President amongst its participants. A prayer is said at the end that referred to Todd Beamer's "Let's Roll" remark.

The public ceremony at Shanksville[?] also had a large turnout. It included two flybys and a release of doves. President George W. Bush attends a private followup service for the families of Flight 93's victims in the afternoon.

In Karachi, wanted terrorist Ramzi Binalshibh (a.k.a. Ramzi Omar) is among five alleged terrorists captured by Pakistani authorities at a Defence Housing Authority estate. Binalshibh is wanted by US authorities in relation to the September 11 attacks. His capture does not become public knowledge for two days, but photographs featuring him being led away blindfolded are published on the day.

September 26, 2002

The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation[?] selects six new design teams from around the globe for the World Trade Center site.

September 27, 2002

The City of New York renames 81 streets, 79 in Staten Island and two in Manhattan, after victims.

The New York Department of Environmental Conservation announces that construction equipment at the World Trade Center site will have to use ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel[?].

2003 February 26, 2003

Daniel Libeskind's design is announced as the winner and future occupant of the former World Trade Center site. The design includes an office building and a Wedge of Light which will honor the victims of the terrorist attacks by shutting down its lights between 8:46AM and 10:28AM EST every September 11. It will also use the WTC's foundations.