Tomorrow will mark the 11th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attack in the United States.  Eleven years ago, four airplanes were taken over by terrorists.  The first plane hit the World Trade Center’s North Tower at 8:46 AM, the South Tower at 9:03 AM, the Pentagon at 9:37 AM and the fourth plane, which was believed to be targeting the White House, crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania at 10:03 AM after passengers fought off the hijackers.  Thousands of people died that day, with the majority of the casualty coming from the World Trade Center attacks.

Eleven years.  It may seem long ago, but the horror of that day still seems fresh to survivors and the loved ones of those whose lives were taken in this tragedy.  It seems like no matter how much time passes, even with beautiful structures and memorials built in the victims’ honor, the pain will always be present.

Still, Americans found the strength to get their lives back on track, no matter how difficult. Memorials and support groups have cropped up to help people cope with what happened on 9/11 and help them remember their loved ones.  So in the age of mobile devices, apps are also making memories last, also serving the double purpose of educating the younger generation.

Last year, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the horrible tragedy and how America has recovered, The National September 11 Memorial and Museum updated its iPhone app, Explore 9/11, which provides users an audio and visual presentation of the tragedy as well as how Ground Zero looks  presently as well as giving people hope for the future.

Another app launched last year was from Steve Rosenbaum, the filmmaker responsible for “7 Days in September”, 110 Stories for iOS and Android devices.  The app allows New Yorkers to see the Twin Towers again when they point their devices to where the towers used to stand tall in Manhattan.  After taking a photo, the app asks users to upload their photo and share their stories about the towers and the people lost when the towers collapsed.  Another app by Rosenbaum, “The 911 Memorial: Past, Present and Future”, gives users an in depth view of the past, present and future of the site, as well as exclusive interviews from the creator of the Memorial, and never before seen clips of the attack and some clips from his movie.

Nothing much has been added to these apps though if you haven’t gotten them yet, you should.  They’re quite insightful.  You can also try Twin Towers 9/11 LWP and Never Forget 9\11 Live Wallpaper, which features visual presentation that you can save on your mobile device.

For some people, reliving the past is not the way to go.  But some find peace when they read about what others have to say about the tragedy or reading things shared by survivors.  We can’t force people to do things, we just have to let them cope in their own way.
We at SiliconANGLE send our sincerest regards to the survivors and everyone who lost friends, families, loved ones, co-workers and acquaintances in the tragedy.  There’s always hope for the future, no matter how dark the past and present may be.