Poll: 9/11 remains among most significant US historic events
A new survey indicates that about half of US adults consider the 2001 attacks among the most important events of their lives.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

Poll: 9/11 remains among most significant US historic events
Photograph: Washington Top News (embedded from source)
What this story says
- Approximately half of US adults consider the 9/11 attacks among the most important historic events of their lifetimes, according to a new Ipsos poll.
- About two-thirds of Americans believe the 9/11 attacks had a significant impact on the country, while 3 in 10 report it permanently changed their lives, Gallup polling suggests.
- Despite the perceived impact, only about 1 in 10 US adults plan to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.
- For Americans aged 65 and older, 9/11 was the most frequently mentioned historic event, followed by JFK's assassination and space expeditions.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 64 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 8 of the 72 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
42/100
Craft
61/100
Hype
20/100
72 sources · methodology
Missing from the right
Only 7 of the 64 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated right.
A reader who follows the right would not have seen this. We report the absence rather than explain it: outlets choose what to cover for many reasons, and we have no evidence about which one applies here.
Twenty-five years after the September 11, 2001, attacks, a new Ipsos poll indicates that about half of US adults consider the events among the most important historic occurrences of their lifetimes. The poll also found that approximately two-thirds of Americans believe 9/11 impacted the country significantly. Separate Gallup polling suggests that 3 in 10 US adults report that the attacks permanently changed their lives.
Despite the enduring significance attributed to the attacks, relatively few Americans plan to commemorate the upcoming 25th anniversary. The Ipsos poll found that only about 1 in 10 US adults intend to mark the occasion. For those aged 65 and older, the 9/11 attacks were the most frequently mentioned historic event, followed by President John F. Kennedy's assassination, space expeditions, and the Vietnam War.
The poll also explored how younger generations perceive historic events. For Americans under 35, the COVID-19 pandemic was more prominent, with about half naming it as among the most impactful events of their lifetime, compared to about one-third who mentioned 9/11. A significant portion of younger adults were not born when the attacks occurred or were too young to remember them.
Differing views on impact and commemoration
While the Ipsos poll found about half of US adults named the 9/11 attacks as a most important historic event, 31% mentioned the COVID-19 pandemic. For Americans 65 and older, 9/11 was the most frequently cited event, followed by JFK's assassination, space expeditions, and the Vietnam War. The Gallup poll indicated that 3 in 10 US adults reported that 9/11 permanently changed their lives.
What the coverage left out
None of the left-rated digests mention the finding that about one-third of U.S. adults say the country is "more safe" from foreign attacks since 9/11, and a similar share say it is "less safe."
Coverage settled. We checked this 27 times and stopped on 16 Sept 2026, 02:01. The figures above are what it finished at.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
23 rated outlets
- Left-rated reports highlighted the enduring significance of the 9/11 attacks, noting that about half of US adults consider them among the most important historic events of their lifetimes. They also pointed to the finding that about two-thirds of Americans believe 9/11 impacted the country significantly. Several reports mentioned that for Americans aged 65 and older, 9/11 was the most frequently cited historic event, followed by JFK's assassination and space expeditions. The digests also noted that only about 1 in 10 US adults plan to commemorate the 25th anniversary.
Centre
34 rated outlets
- Washington Top News and KOB 4 led with polling data showing the 9/11 attacks are still considered among the most important historic events in Americans' lives. Both outlets reported that about half of U.S. adults named the attacks in an open-ended question about significant occurrences.
- These reports noted that two-thirds of Americans feel 9/11 greatly impacted the country. Washington Top News and KOB 4 also included personal accounts from individuals who remembered the attacks and their lasting effects.
- The digests from The Record, Newsday, Herald Bulletin, The Lawton Constitution, WKMG, Winnipeg Free Press, WFLD, The EagleHerald, and LiveNOW from FOX all stated that a new poll found the 9/11 attacks remain significant historical events for many Americans.
Right
7 rated outlets
- The right-rated report's digest stated that 9/11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans' lifetimes, according to a new poll. It also noted that about half of U.S. adults name the 9/11 attacks in an open-ended question about the most important historic occurrences of their lifetimes.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Poll: 9/11 remains among most significant US historic events?
- Of the 64 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 27% are rated left, 65% are rated centre, 8% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 72. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Poll: 9/11 remains among most significant US historic events left or right?
- Neither side dominates it. Of the 64 rated outlets on this story, 27% are rated left, 65% are rated centre, 8% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
- Is the coverage of Poll: 9/11 remains among most significant US historic events biased?
- Poll: 9/11 remains among most significant US historic events is one event reported by 72 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which side is not reporting Poll: 9/11 remains among most significant US historic events?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated right had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered Poll: 9/11 remains among most significant US historic events?
- 72 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- How many Americans consider 9/11 a historic event?
- A new Ipsos poll indicates that approximately half of U.S. adults consider the 9/11 attacks among the most important historic events of their lifetimes. About two-thirds of Americans also believe the attacks had a significant impact on the country.
- Do many Americans plan to commemorate the 9/11 anniversary?
- No, relatively few Americans plan to mark the upcoming 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. The Ipsos poll found that only about 1 in 10 U.S. adults intend to do something to commemorate the occasion.
- Which historic events are most remembered by older Americans?
- For Americans aged 65 and older, the 9/11 attacks were the most frequently mentioned historic event. This was followed by President John F. Kennedy's assassination, space expeditions, and the Vietnam War, according to the Ipsos poll.
- How do younger Americans view the 9/11 attacks compared to other events?
- For Americans under 35, the COVID-19 pandemic is more prominent as a historic event than 9/11. About half of this age group named the pandemic as impactful, while about one-third mentioned the 9/11 attacks.
Read it at the source
72 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
23- 9/11 overshadows other major events of the past 25 years for many Americans, new poll finds (opens Mississippi Today in a new tab)
Mississippi Today — is Mississippi Today biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans’ lifetimes, polling shows (opens Kokomo Tribune in a new tab)
Kokomo Tribune — is Kokomo Tribune biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Poll: Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans' lifetimes (opens Niagara Gazette in a new tab)
Niagara Gazette — is Niagara Gazette biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 9/11 overshadows other major events of the past 25 years for many Americans, new poll finds - Boston News, Weather, Sports (opens WHDH in a new tab)
- 9/11 overshadows other major events of the past 25 years for many Americans, new poll finds (opens The Daily Advance in a new tab)
The Daily Advance — is The Daily Advance biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans’ lifetimes, polling shows (opens Los Angeles Times in a new tab)
Los Angeles Times — is Los Angeles Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans’ lifetimes, polling shows (opens McAlester News-Capital in a new tab)
McAlester News-Capital — is McAlester News-Capital biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans’ lifetimes, polling shows (opens Enid News & Eagle in a new tab)
Enid News & Eagle — is Enid News & Eagle biased? Our profile of this outlet
Show 15 more
- Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans’ lifetimes, polling shows (opens The Daily Item in a new tab)
The Daily Item — is The Daily Item biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans’ lifetimes, polling shows (opens The Sun Chronicle in a new tab)
The Sun Chronicle — is The Sun Chronicle biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans’ lifetimes, polling shows (opens Terre Haute Tribune-Star in a new tab)
Terre Haute Tribune-Star — is Terre Haute Tribune-Star biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Sept. 11 Ranks Among The Most Historic Events In Many Americans’ Lifetimes, Polling Shows (opens HuffPost in a new tab)
- Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans' lifetimes, polling shows (opens Newsday in a new tab)
- Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans’ lifetimes, polling shows (opens The Toronto Star in a new tab)
The Toronto Star — is The Toronto Star biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans’ lifetimes, polling shows (opens The Seattle Times in a new tab)
The Seattle Times — is The Seattle Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans’ lifetimes, polling shows (opens Durango Herald in a new tab)
Durango Herald — is Durango Herald biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans’ lifetimes, polling shows (opens Herald Bulletin in a new tab)
Herald Bulletin — is Herald Bulletin biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans’ lifetimes, polling shows (opens Associated Press News in a new tab)
Associated Press News — is Associated Press News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans’ lifetimes, polling shows (opens Bangor Daily News in a new tab)
Bangor Daily News — is Bangor Daily News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Americans remember exactly where they were on 9/11 (opens USA Today in a new tab)
- Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans’ lifetimes, polling shows (opens NiagaraFallsReview.ca in a new tab)
NiagaraFallsReview.ca — is NiagaraFallsReview.ca biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans’ lifetimes, polling shows (opens St Catharines Standard in a new tab)
St Catharines Standard — is St Catharines Standard biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans’ lifetimes, polling shows (opens The Record in a new tab)
The Record — is The Record biased? Our profile of this outlet
Centre
34- Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans’ lifetimes, polling shows (opens WCCB Charlotte in a new tab)
WCCB Charlotte — is WCCB Charlotte biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 9/11 attacks among 'most important historic events' in US adults' lifetimes: Poll (opens WTNH in a new tab)
- 9/11 overshadows other major events of the past 25 years for many Americans, new poll finds (opens TelegraphHerald.com in a new tab)
TelegraphHerald.com — is TelegraphHerald.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans' lifetimes, polling shows (opens Decatur Daily in a new tab)
Decatur Daily — is Decatur Daily biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Poll: Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events (opens TimesDaily in a new tab)
TimesDaily — is TimesDaily biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 9/11 attacks among 'most important historic events' in US adults' lifetimes: Poll (opens WCBD in a new tab)
- 9/11 attacks among 'most important historic events' in US adults' lifetimes: Poll (opens PHL17 in a new tab)
- Poll: 9/11 overshadows other major events of the past 25 years for many Americans (opens WPRI 12 in a new tab)
Show 26 more
- Poll: 9/11 remains most impactful event of past 25 years (opens The Frederick News-Post in a new tab)
The Frederick News-Post — is The Frederick News-Post biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 9/11 attacks among ‘most important historic events’ in US adults’ lifetimes: Poll (opens The Hill in a new tab)
- 9/11 Overshadows Other Major Events of the Past 25 Years for Many Americans, New Poll Finds (opens KTBS in a new tab)
- 9/11 overshadows other major events of the past 25 years for many Americans, new poll finds (opens CW39 Houston in a new tab)
CW39 Houston — is CW39 Houston biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 9/11 overshadows other major events of the past 25 years for many Americans, new poll finds (opens Fox40 in a new tab)
- Poll finds 9/11 has enduring impact (opens The Columbian in a new tab)
The Columbian — is The Columbian biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Sept. 11 ranks among most historic events in many Americans’ lifetimes, polling shows (opens The Norfolk Daily News in a new tab)
The Norfolk Daily News — is The Norfolk Daily News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans’ lifetimes, polling shows (opens The Cumberland Times-News in a new tab)
The Cumberland Times-News — is The Cumberland Times-News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans’ lifetimes, polling shows (opens KITV4 News in a new tab)
KITV4 News — is KITV4 News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans’ lifetimes, polling shows – WTOP News (opens Washington Top News in a new tab)
Washington Top News — is Washington Top News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans’ lifetimes, polling shows (opens 9NEWS Denver in a new tab)
9NEWS Denver — is 9NEWS Denver biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans’ lifetimes, polling shows (opens The Record in a new tab)
The Record
- Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans’ lifetimes, polling shows (opens Carolina Coast Online in a new tab)
Carolina Coast Online — is Carolina Coast Online biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Sept. 11 stands among the most historic events in Americans’ lifetimes, poll finds (opens WOFL in a new tab)
- Sept. 11 stands among the most historic events in Americans’ lifetimes, poll finds (opens Fox5 DC in a new tab)
- Sept. 11 stands among the most historic events in Americans’ lifetimes, poll finds (opens KTVU FOX 2 in a new tab)
KTVU FOX 2 — is KTVU FOX 2 biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Sept. 11 stands among the most historic events in Americans’ lifetimes, poll finds (opens Fox 10 Phoenix in a new tab)
Fox 10 Phoenix — is Fox 10 Phoenix biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Sept. 11 stands among the most historic events in Americans’ lifetimes, poll finds (opens LiveNOW from FOX in a new tab)
LiveNOW from FOX — is LiveNOW from FOX biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Sept. 11 stands among the most historic events in Americans’ lifetimes, poll finds (opens WFLD in a new tab)
- Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans’ lifetimes, polling shows (opens The EagleHerald in a new tab)
The EagleHerald — is The EagleHerald biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans’ lifetimes, polling shows (opens The Lawton Constitution in a new tab)
The Lawton Constitution — is The Lawton Constitution biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans’ lifetimes, polling shows (opens Boston 25 News in a new tab)
Boston 25 News — is Boston 25 News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans’ lifetimes, polling shows (opens News 4 JAX in a new tab)
News 4 JAX — is News 4 JAX biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans’ lifetimes, polling shows (opens KOB 4 in a new tab)
- Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans’ lifetimes, polling shows (opens WKMG in a new tab)
- Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans’ lifetimes, polling shows (opens Winnipeg Free Press in a new tab)
Winnipeg Free Press — is Winnipeg Free Press biased? Our profile of this outlet
Right
7- 9/11 overshadows other major events of the past 25 years for many Americans, new poll finds (opens Washington Times in a new tab)
Washington Times — is Washington Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans’ lifetimes (opens Grand Haven Tribune in a new tab)
Grand Haven Tribune — is Grand Haven Tribune biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 9/11 overshadows other major events of the past 25 years for many Americans, new poll finds (opens Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in a new tab)
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette — is Pittsburgh Post-Gazette biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans’ lifetimes, polling shows (opens The Elkhart Truth in a new tab)
The Elkhart Truth — is The Elkhart Truth biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 9/11 overshadows other major events of the past 25 years for many Americans, new poll finds (opens Pioneer Press in a new tab)
Pioneer Press — is Pioneer Press biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Sept. 11 Ranks Among the Most Historic Events in Many Americans’ Lifetimes, Polling Shows (opens The National Herald in a new tab)
The National Herald — is The National Herald biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans' lifetimes, polling shows (opens KRCG in a new tab)
Not rated
8- Nearly Half of Americans Say September 11, 2001, Was the Most Important Historical Event of Their Lives (opens maszol.ro in a new tab)
- Poll: How Americans Remember the 11S Attack and What They Think About Muslims Today (opens Perfil in a new tab)
- Sept. 11 Ranks Among The Most Historic Events In Many Americans’ Lifetimes, Polling Shows – 710am KURV (opens kurv.com in a new tab)
- Sept. 11 Ranks Among the Most Historic Events in Many Americans’ Lifetimes, Polling Shows (opens The Well News in a new tab)
The Well News — is The Well News biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans’ lifetimes, polling shows (opens sfntoday.com in a new tab)
sfntoday.com — is sfntoday.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans' (opens WBAL in a new tab)
- Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans’ lifetimes, polling shows (opens KPCNews in a new tab)
- Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans’ lifetimes, polling shows (opens KXL in a new tab)
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