8:46 a.m.

It was at 8:46 a.m., 18 years ago today that the World Trade Center was attacked in New York City.

Today students all around America probably had a moment of silence, maybe watched a video, possibly discussed in class what 9/11 is about. They do this to remember the attacks in New York and the attack on the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. People gathered around at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum to remember the 2, 977 people who lost their lives on that day.

Here is a timeline of the events provided by 9/11memorial.org:

“8:46 a.m.: Hijackers deliberately crash American Airlines Flight 11 into floors 93 through 99 of the North Tower (1 WTC).

9:03 a.m.: Hijackers deliberately crash United Airlines Flight 175 into floors 77 through 85 of the South Tower (2 WTC).

9:37 a.m.: Hijackers deliberately crash American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon, near Washington, D.C.

9:59 a.m.: The South Tower (2 WTC) collapses.

10:03 a.m.: After learning of the other attacks, passengers on United Airlines Flight 93 launch a counterattack on hijackers aboard their plane to try to seize control of the aircraft. In response, the hijackers crash the plane into an empty field near Shanksville, Pa.

10:28 a.m.: The North Tower (1 WTC) collapses. The 16-acre World Trade Center site is in ruins, with collateral damage affecting all adjacent properties and streets. A rescue and recovery effort begins immediately.”

Every year on the eleventh day of September, we remember those who lost their lives due to a terrorist attack on our twin towers. At each of the times above a moment of silence was taken in different parts of America to remember them. Among those who lost their lives are firefighters, police officers, EMTs, people walking around near the towers, volunteers to help with the cleanup afterward, people aboard the flights and people who went to work that day in the towers. But that’s not just who those people are. They were also fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, sisters, brothers, friends and loved ones.

These people woke up as if it was any other day, because it was to them. They didn’t know that this was the last time they made their coffee in the morning, kissed their kids goodbye, took their morning commute to work. These people didn’t know that Sept. 11, 2001 would be one of those infamous dates that no one forgot.

The people who planned this attack were militants that were associated with the Islamic extremist group al Qaeda. These people hijacked four planes, one that flew into the north tower, one that flew into the south tower, one that flew into the Pentagon and one that landed in a field in rural Pennsylvania. That last plane never reach its intended target, because the people on that flight fought back against the hijackers. These people orchestrated the deadliest terrorist attack on United States soil.

It’s important that on this day we don’t just do what we’re told by taking a single moment of silence. It’s important that we think about those whose lives were taken throughout this entire day and that we don’t just push it to the back of our mind. The people that died are just like us. Normal people with normal lives, and they never knew that their life was going to be taken from them.