9/11 Still Seen as Defining Moment in Americans' Lives, Poll Shows
A new Ipsos poll finds about half of U.S. adults still name the September 11 attacks as the most important historic event they have lived through.
An Ipsos poll of 1,013 U.S. adults conducted in late August asked participants to name the most significant historic events of their lifetimes, and roughly half cited the September 11 attacks, outpacing even the COVID-19 pandemic. The majority recall where they were when the news broke, and about two-thirds believe the attacks impacted the country "a great deal." Only about one-in-ten intend to mark the 25th anniversary, mainly with a moment of silence or displaying a flag.
Younger adults, many born after the attacks, often learned about the event through education or family. Confidence that the government can protect citizens from terrorism has fallen, with roughly one-third feeling the nation is safer and a similar share feeling it is less safe than before. Respondents also expressed varied personal impacts, with older adults feeling the strongest direct effect.
