Nearly 25 years after the tragic events of September 11, the impact of the coordinated terrorist attacks by al-Qaeda still resonates worldwide. The attacks involved two planes crashing into the World Trade Center, another into the Pentagon, and a fourth one in Pennsylvania. These incidents resulted in the loss of 2,977 innocent lives, including the hijackers.
Among the victims were notable individuals like David Angell, known for creating popular TV shows such as Cheers and Frasier. Some celebrities narrowly avoided the attacks, like Seth MacFarlane, the creator of Family Guy, who missed boarding Flight 11 due to a hangover. Similarly, an Oscar-nominated actor who was initially booked on Flight 11 changed his plans last minute, avoiding the tragedy.
Despite facing criticism for his comments, Mark Wahlberg, known for films like The Departed, claimed he could have prevented the hijacking if he had been on board. However, Deena Burnett-Bailey, whose husband was on Flight 93, dismissed Wahlberg’s claims, emphasizing that the heroes on that flight were responsible for foiling the hijackers’ plans.
Michael Jackson, scheduled for a meeting at the World Trade Center, overslept and missed the appointment, unknowingly avoiding the attacks. Similarly, Sarah Ferguson narrowly missed being at her charity office in the North Tower due to traffic delays.
After the towers collapsed, the charity’s mascot was found in the debris, inspiring the Duchess of York to propose a children’s book based on the doll’s story, which was later rejected by publishers.
These stories reflect the close calls and fortunate circumstances that some individuals experienced on that fateful day, highlighting the unpredictable nature of life and the lasting impact of the 9/11 attacks.