REMEMBERING 9/11 - THEN & NOW

At left, New York's downtown skyline is dominated by the World Trade Center towers in this photo from March 3, 2000. At right, the skyline as seen on Friday, Oct. 12, 2001.

Today, the divided world marks 9/11 attacks. A divided world remembered the fifth anniversary of the September 11 attacks on Monday, with allies in the war on terror renewing their resolve to fight fanaticism, but with militants pledging continued resistance.

U.S. President George W. Bush joined thousands gathering across America Sunday in tearful tributes, prayers and quiet reflection.

In New York, the president and first lady Laura Bush placed wreaths in pools of water where the World Trade Center's twin towers stood before two commercial airliners toppled them five years ago.

Other memorials were held in Washington, where another hijacked passenger plane slammed into the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where a fourth jet crashed into a field.

The death toll from the twin towers was estimated at 2,749, including the 87 passengers aboard American Airlines Flight 11 and the 60 on United Airlines Flight 175. Among the dead were 60 police officers and 343 firefighters who responded to the scene.

An estimated 2,973 people were killed in the attacks.

Dawn breaks over ground zero on the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, Monday Sept, 11, 2006 in New York

Where were you 5 years ago? I remembered so clearly where I was. I was only Form 3 and I was attending tuition in Pusat Tuisyen Kasturi, PJ. At that time, it was my BM subject tuition. Well, obviously my mind wasn't fully concentrating on what my teacher was teaching. I was more than worried on my uncle's (Mr. Phang, Consul-Investment Consulate General of Malaysia to New York) family because his office was near to the WTC & Pentagon. Thank goodness he didn't go to the office that day.

I followed CNN closely through one of the mamak shop downstairs of my tuition center and awaiting my dad's eldest brother's news on my uncle's family situation ove there. We heard of the news and felt thankful that they are all alright.

5 years has passed, what we once see standing magnificently gracing the skyscrapper of New York was the World Trade Center and Pentagon are vanished from the world's eyesight. What is left is the innocent victims have been killed.

All we can do is to pray continuously for them and remember them in our hearts though we don't even know a single soul there.

Let me share with you the Timeline for September 11, 2001:

8:00 a.m. — American Airlines Flight 11, Boeing 767 with 92 people aboard, takes off from Boston's Logan International Airport for Los Angeles.

8:14 a.m. — United Airlines Flight 175, Boeing 767 with 65 people aboard, takes off from Boston's Logan airport for Los Angeles.

8:21 a.m. — American Airlines Flight 77, Boeing 757 with 64 people aboard, takes off from Washington Dulles International Airport for Los Angeles.

8:40 a.m. — Federal Aviation Administration notifies North American Aerospace Defense Command's Northeast Air Defense Sector about suspected hijacking of American Flight 11.

8:41 a.m. — United Airlines Flight 93, Boeing 757 with 44 people aboard, takes off from Newark International Airport for San Francisco.

8:43 a.m. — FAA notifies NORAD's Northeast Air Defense Sector about suspected hijacking of United Flight 175.

8:46 a.m. — American Flight 11 crashes into north tower of World Trade Center.

9:03 a.m. — United Flight 175 crashes into south tower of World Trade Center.

9:08 a.m. — FAA bans all takeoffs nationwide for flights going to or through airspace around New York City.

9:21 a.m. — All bridges and tunnels into Manhattan closed.

9:24 a.m. — FAA notifies NORAD's Northeast Air Defense Sector about suspected hijacking of American Flight 77.

9:26 a.m. — FAA bans takeoffs of all civilian aircraft.

9:31 a.m. — President Bush, in Florida, calls crashes an "apparent terrorist attack on our country."

9:40 a.m. (approx.) — American Flight 77 crashes into Pentagon.

9:45 a.m. — FAA orders all aircraft to land at nearest airport as soon as practical. More than 4,500 aircraft in air at the time.

9:48 a.m. — U.S. Capitol and White House's West Wing evacuated.

9:59 a.m. — South tower of trade center collapses.

10:07 a.m. (approx.) — United Flight 93 crashes in Pennsylvania field.

10:28 a.m. — North tower of World Trade Center collapses.

11:00 a.m. — New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani orders evacuation of lower Manhattan.

1:04 p.m. — From Barksdale Air Force base in Louisiana, Bush announces U.S. military on high-alert worldwide.

2:51 p.m. — Navy dispatches missile destroyers to New York, Washington.

3:07 p.m. — Bush arrives at U.S. Strategic Command at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska.

5:25 p.m. — Empty 47-story Seven World Trade Center collapses.