50 Facts About 9/11 Memorial That Help Us Remember

Today we are sharing about a very special place called the 9/11 Memorial. It’s a place of quiet and remembering, right in the middle of a big, busy city called New York. This memorial is important because it helps us remember something sad that happened a long time ago, and it teaches us about bravery and working together. Join us as we discover facts about 9/11 Memorial that help us always remember.

On a sunny day in September, many years before you were born, some very sad events happened that hurt a lot of people. Two tall buildings called the Twin Towers fell down after some planes crashed into them. It was a day when a lot of people were heroes, helping each other and showing great courage.

So, to remember all the brave people and those who were hurt, we built the 9/11 Memorial. It has two big pools of water that sit where the Twin Towers used to be. Around the pools, there are names of all the people who were lost that day. Families and friends come to touch the names and remember their loved ones.

The Memorial is not just about being sad, though. It’s also about hope and making sure we never forget how important it is to care for each other. It’s a place where we can learn about history and think about peace. It reminds us that even when bad things happen, we can come together to heal and be strong.

So when people visit the 9/11 Memorial, they can take a moment to be quiet, to think, and to remember. It’s a special place for everyone, and it helps us to always remember to be kind and to help others, just like so many people did on that day. let’s dive in to discover even more facts about the 9/11 Memorial.

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Facts About 9/11 Memorial

1. The towers were also the tallest buildings in the world for about a year when they were built in 1973
2. Each reflecting pool has waterfalls that descend an initial 30 feet into the main basin and another 20 feet before leaving site.
3. Each memorial reflecting pool is almost an acre in size.
4. Survivors and rescue workers from the 9/11 attacks often experienced post-traumatic stress and were at risk for severe respiratory problems.
5. Around 400 of the people who died on September 11, 2001, were police officers and firefighters.

6. The additional six names are for those who died in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
7. The passengers and crew became aware of why they were attacked because there had been a 25-minute delay in taking off due to heavy air traffic.
8. Davis Brody Bond is the architect who oversaw the construction.
9. It was renamed the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in 2007.
10. The National Park Service maintains the museum, memorial, and grounds of the 9/11 Memorial.

11. There are 2,883 names of people memorialized around the twin reflecting pools.
12. The terrorists unsuccessfully attempted to crash a fourth plane into an additional, prominent location in Washington, D.C., but it crashed in western Pennsylvania.
13. The building between the twin reflecting pools has just a small portion above ground, with most of it underground.
14. While the terrorists thought suicide bombing the United States would weaken the country, it only made the U.S. stronger as it unified efforts to combat terrorism.
15. The World Trade Center also included a hotel and an underground mall that allowed people to stay and shop while they visited.

16. There are twin reflecting pools at the memorial as they represent the twin towers of the former World Trade Center.
17. On the birthday of each victim, a red rose is placed on the victim’s name in the memorial to honor their life.
18. Construction on the initial memorial began on March 13, 2006 and took eight years to complete fully.
19. The reflecting pools at the 9/11 memorial are the largest man-made waterfalls in North America.
20. September 11 was named Patriot Day on December 18, 2001 to remember those who died in the 9/11 attacks annually.

21. The former World Trade Center was a collection of seven buildings, with the twin towers rising out of the New York skyline as the most prominent of them.
22. The 9/11 attack involved the work of nineteen men who coordinated an attack to crash airplanes at three different locations.
23. It follows an original master plan created by Daniel Libeskind.
24. It took 9 months to clear the 1.8 million tons of rubble and debris from the twin towers.
25. The entrance ramp in the memorial building leads to Foundation Hall where the footprint of the North Tower once stood.

26. The fourth plane hijacked in the 9/11 attacks crashed due to an uprising by the passengers and crew when they realized their hijacking was part of a coordinated attack.
27. The 9/11 Memorial was completed in two stages, with the memorial being completed first and dedicated to the victims’ families on September 11, 2011.
28. The 9/11 Memorial was designed by the Israeli-American architect Michael Arad, who won a competition to design the overall concept for the memorial.
29. It is located on about half of the 16-acre site that the former World Trade Center complex encompassed.
30. The reflecting pools are surrounded by the names of the victims of both the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

31. The emptiness of Foundation Hall is intended to remind visitors of what was once there and is no longer.
32. Of the names inscribed at the memorial, 2,977 of those are for those who died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
33. The memorial was initially called the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation.
34. There were 18 people who were rescued alive from the twin towers of the former World Trade Center.
35. The first plane crashed into the 80th floor of the north tower of the World Trade Center at 8:45 a.m.

36. The central feature of the 9/11 Memorial is the memorial itself, which has twin square reflecting pools that have the names of the memorialized victims around each pool.
37. The third plane crashed into the Pentagon at 9:37a.m. and collapsed part of the building.
38. The second plane crashed into the 60th floor of the south tower 17 minutes later at 9:03 a.m.
39. A retaining wall from the original building is incorporated into the design of Foundation Hall as a reminder that nothing is truly gone.
40. A 36-foot piece of steel that was the last piece taken from the site cleanup is housed in Foundation Hall as a column.

41. The 9/11 terrorists crashed two planes into the two towers of the World Trade Center in New York and an additional plane into the Pentagon outside of Washington, D.C.
42. The 9/11 Memorial was built to remember and honor those who died in the worst terrorist attack in the history of the United States.
43. The flight data recorder data led investigators to believe the fourth hijacked plane was likely attempting to crash into the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C.
44. There were 110 floors in the twin towers of the former World Trade Center.
45. Up to 50,000 people could work in the Twin Towers daily.

46. A 2019 bill passed by the U.S. Senate permanently ensured funding for a 9/11 victims fund that supports the families of the victims and first responders of the 9/11 terrorist attack.
47. The Twin Towers were nearly identical twin buildings and were the tallest in New York City, with each hosting 110 floors.
48. The two planes brought down both Twin Towers and led to the collapse of all five buildings in the former World Trade Center complex.
49. 430 companies employed 35,000 people who regularly worked in the Twin Towers.
50. The second stage of the memorial involved completing the museum, which was dedicated on May 15, 2014.

Do you have even more interesting facts about the 9/11 Memorial? Share them with us in the comments! Also, don’t forget to grab your free moon fact cards to add to your collection!