In total, 2,996 people died by fire, plane crash, falling rubble, or committed suicide during September 11th, 2001, including the 19 terrorists, according to several statistical accounts. This would make the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and Shanksville a very deadly event, right behind several nature disasters and epidemics, excluding wars. Clearly, the terrorist attacks were a massive tragedy, and continue to affect many Americans’ daily lives even today. 

The United States’ response to the attacks on 9/11 was swift, thorough, and aggressive. Directly from former President George W. Bush’s address, delivered at 9pm on September 11th from the Oval office: “Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.” Within 2 months of the attacks, the U.S. had removed the Taliban from power, and was attempting to defeat them entirely in Pakistan. In December of 2001, Congress named September 11th “Patriot Day”, which was later changed to a “National Day of Service and Remembrance” in 2009. In 2002, the Homeland Security Act created the Department of Homeland Security, because of security concerns after 9/11. In June 2011, former President Obama announced the beginnings of a large-scale troop withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Middle East. Finally, Osama bin Laden, the ringleader for Al-Qaeda which was the group that committed the acts on 9/11, was found in Abbottabad, Pakistan, and promptly killed, on May 2nd, 2011. 

After the fall of the World Trade Center, the New York City economy decreased drastically as so many buildings had to be left empty for a long period of time – many of these buildings included Wall Street. Many, many people lost their jobs. Overall, the cost to remove debris, and overall repair of damages, was nearly $750 million. From 2001 to 2004, over $7 billion was given to families of the 9/11 victims and those injured in the attacks, as payment for their losses. Former President Obama continued the funding in 2011, set to stop accepting claims for 9/11-related problems in December 2020. However, on July 29, 2019, former President Trump signed a law stating support for the “September 11 Victim Compensation Fund” through 2092.