Sunday will mark the tenth anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the United 93 flight that crashed near Shanksville, PA. The events will be marked with commemorative ceremonies and speeches throughout the country, most notably the dedication of the 9/11 Memorial at Ground Zero. If you can’t do so in person, there is plenty of opportunity to participate in the anniversary digitally. Ten years later the pictures and stories are still hard to take in, but these iPhone apps offer another way to remember the victims.
A good place to start is with two apps that come directly from the National September 11 Memorial and Museum itself. The Explore 9/11 app (free) starts with a brief introduction by museum director Alice Greenwald and then takes users on a virtual walking tour around the perimeter of the World Trade Center site. At each of the seven virtual stops, there are a couple of audio narrations from office workers and emergency responders who were at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.
The free 9/11 Memorial Guide app is specific to the event that is being dedicated Sunday. It allows you to search all of the 2,983 names that are inscribed in bronze around the two fountains that occupy what were once the foundations of the Twin Towers. The app includes some great multimedia features, including audio clips of family members speaking about the loved ones that they lost.
The attacks of September 11 had the dubious distinction of being one of the most documented tragedies ever. It unfolded live, in front of a world audience. For some of the most captivating photography and video, download the free 9/11 app. It opens with a disclaimer, and for good reason. Some of the content was used in the prosecution of Zacarias Moussaoui, who helped plan the attack, and it is quite graphic.
Some of the best coverage in the buildup to the tenth anniversary has come from The New York Times, which has been producing scores of multimedia packages on the aftermath of the attacks during the last month. Download The New York Times app, and you will find stories about survivors, victims’ families and efforts to rebuild the World Trade Center sites.
For additional coverage and commentary about the attack at the Pentagon, turn to The Washington Post app. This week, reporters published an interesting story analyzing why the destruction and death at the Pentagon was somewhat overshadowed by that in New York City.
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