Twenty-five years after the attacks, the events of Sept. 11, 2001, are still remembered as among the most important historic occurrences in many Americans’ lives, according to a new Ipsos poll. The poll found that about half of U.S. adults cited the 9/11 attacks when asked to name the most significant historical events of their lifetimes, a distinction that persists despite other major events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the elections of Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump.
Despite many Americans being too young to have fully comprehended the event a quarter-century ago, the polling highlights the enduring legacy of 9/11. Ipsos reported that a significant majority of Americans recall their whereabouts during the attacks, and about two-thirds believe the event impacted the country "a great deal." Separate polling from Gallup indicates that approximately 3 in 10 U.S. adults report that the attacks permanently altered their way of life.
For those who remember the attacks, they were a defining moment. In an open-ended question asking respondents to list up to five of the most important historic events in their lifetime, the Sept. 11 attacks were mentioned more frequently than the recent COVID-19 pandemic, which was cited by 31% of U.S. adults. For Americans aged 65 and older, the Sept. 11 attacks were the most frequently mentioned historical event, followed by President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, space expeditions, and the Vietnam War.
However, for younger Americans under 35, the COVID-19 pandemic is more prominent. About half of U.S. adults under 35 identified the pandemic as one of the most impactful events of their lifetime, compared to about one-third who mentioned 9/11. A considerable number of younger adults were not yet born when the attacks occurred or were too young to recall the events.
According to Ipsos, approximately 9 in 10 Americans believe the Sept. 11 attacks impacted the United States "a great deal" or "quite a bit." Roughly 7 in 10 believe the attacks had at least "quite a bit" of an impact on the world, and about 6 in 10 feel they had a significant impact on their generation. Closer to 3 in 10 report that the attacks affected them or their family personally, with Americans aged 50 and older being particularly likely to report a personal impact.
Americans are divided on whether the country has become safer from foreign attacks since 9/11. The Ipsos poll found about one-third of U.S. adults believe the country is "more safe," a similar share believes it is "less safe," and the remaining third perceive the U.S. to be about as safe as it was prior to the attacks. Republicans are more likely than Democrats to express the view that the country has become safer.
Recent Gallup polling shows that 55% of U.S. adults have "a great deal" or "a fair amount" of confidence in the U.S. government's ability to protect its citizens from future acts of terrorism. This figure was at its highest, 88%, in polling conducted shortly after the 9/11 attacks and has decreased over time, with the most recent measure being among the lowest recorded. Approximately one-third of Americans report being "very" or "somewhat" worried about themselves or a family member becoming a victim of terrorism, a decrease from about 6 in 10 who expressed such concerns in the days following Sept. 11, 2001.
While the Ipsos poll found that only about 1 in 10 U.S. adults plans to commemorate the upcoming anniversary, those who do plan to mark the day will mostly participate in a moment of silence, with 56% intending to display an American flag.