The 9-11 attacks were groundbreaking, 9-11 provoked massive media attention all around the world, 9-11 presented us with a stunning change, our lives were affected, and it shocked us that 2,819 innocent people could be killed by one heinous act, for what? no logical explanation no understanding no apparent reason. Terrorism, well planned and executed with terrifying accuracy. The 9-11 attacks were remembered by all, a survey conducted by American Television network Fox, showed that 93 percent of Americans today believe that 9-11 is the most significant(and therefore memorable) event in their lifetime.
The thing that in my opinion, makes 9-11 one of the most significant events in history, is that the aftermath of 9-11 is still going on today, in the form of USA’s War on Terrorism campaign. Shortly after 9-11; and following a worldwide media frenzy on the event, The united states responded to this act of “terrorism”, by launching a war on terrorism; thus invading Afghanistan to depose of the Taliban, and also enacting the USA PATRIOT act. Many other nations also strengthened their anti-terrorism legislation and expanded law enforcement powers. To this day , the USA have yet to achieve their previously stated goals of “Bringing Osama Bin Ladan and Al Queda to justice” .In their attempt to achieve their stated goals, America and Britain collectively have spent over $859 Billion (£480) on the campaign. Since the campaign begun, 629 British Soldiers have lost their lives.
9-11 has had an effect on our daily lives. 87% of British citizens go on holiday each year. Prior to 9-11 we were in a routine when it came to airport security, we all felt safe in this routine, this is because it was unknown to us, just how easy it was for a terrorist to board a plane undetected. Now as a long-term affect of 9-11, we all have to prepare for our flights by what seems like an endless parade of security checks. We aren’t even aloud to take our own beverages onboard and are being, in my opinion, unnecessarily put out of our comfort zones.
Another thing that shows 9-11’s significance is that the event is resonant; there is often comparison drawn between 9-11 and other significant events. For example, on the 7th of July 2006, there was a series of suicide bombings in London. Immediately afterwards the event was labelled as 7/7 (a reference to 9-11) and the media were relentless in drawing comparison between 9-11 and 7-7.
So, when it comes to historical significance, 9-11 is undoubtedly one of the most significant events of all times, despite death tolls that are undeniably insignificant in comparison to the great wars; it could be argued that 9-11 is possibly the most significant event of all time.