09 September, 2016
This is What's Trending Today.
Sunday is September 11. It is the 15th anniversary of the day thousands of people were killed in a terrorist attack in the United States.
Early that morning, two airplanes crashed into the towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. All the people on the planes were killed, along with thousands of people in the buildings.
Army Sgt. Edwin Morales prays during a ceremony at the World Trade Center site in New York, Sept. 11, 2015.
Another airplane crashed into the Pentagon building in Arlington, Virginia, outside of Washington, D.C. The Pentagon is the office of the U.S. Department of Defense.
A fourth airplane crashed in a rural part of Pennsylvania, when passengers fought back against terrorists who were planning to crash it into a Washington, D.C. landmark.
On social media, people are posting messages about their memories of that day, using the hashtags #NeverForget and #September11.
Ben Sturner lives in New York City. On Thursday, he posted a photo to Twitter showing the reflection of light off one of the new towers at the old site of the World Trade Center. It was shared and liked thousands of times.
Staten Island is a small part of New York City. It is an island in New York harbor, close to the Statue of Liberty and the location of the World Trade Center. Many people in that small community died.
The local newspaper is remembering their lives by tweeting their photos one at a time.
On Friday morning, many U.S. lawmakers gathered outside the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. to remember those who were killed. They participated in a moment of silence and also sang "God Bless America."
Some people will run almost 400 kilometers from the Pentagon to New York City to honor the firefighters, policemen and rescue workers who saved many lives that day. They started on Friday in Virginia and will finish on Sunday in New York City.
But the anniversary of September 11, 2001, would not be complete without some businesses promoting sales. In the U.S., that is a big mistake.
Many people used Twitter and Facebook to complain about a small mattress store in Texas that made a commercial related to September 11.
The video featured a woman standing in front of two stacks of twin-sized mattresses. The World Trade Center buildings were also called the Twin Towers.
And that's What's Trending Today.
I'm Dan Friedell.
Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor.
How will you remember September 11, 2001? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on 51VOA.COM.
________________________________________________________________
Words in This Story
tower – n. a tall, narrow building or structure that may stand apart from or be attached to another building or structure
rural – adj. of or relating to the country and the people who live there instead of the city
reflection – n. an image that is seen in a mirror or on a shiny surface
harbor – n. a part of the ocean, a lake, etc., that is next to land and that is protected and deep enough to provide safety for ships
moment of silence – n. a public way of remembering a sad event by staying quiet for a short period of time
bless – v. to ask God to care for and protect (someone or something)
complain – v. to say or write that you are unhappy, sick, uncomfortable, etc., or that you do not like something
twin – n. either one of two similar things that form a pair; also used to describe a mattress for one person to sleep on
stack – n. a usually neat pile : a group of things that are put one on top of the other