Patriot Day
Encyclopedia
In the United States
, Patriot Day occurs on September 11 of each year, designated in memory of the 2,977 killed
in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Most Americans who were alive during the events refer to the day as "Nine-Eleven (9/11)", "September Eleventh", or some variation thereof . Initially, the day was called the Prayer and Remembrance for the Victims of the Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001.
U.S. House of Representatives
Joint Resolution 71 was approved by a vote of 407–0 on October 25, 2001. It requested that the President
designate September 11 of each year as "Patriot Day". President George W. Bush
signed the resolution into law on December 18, 2001 (as Public Law 107-89). It is a discretionary day of remembrance. On September 4, 2002, President Bush used his authority created by the resolution and proclaimed September 11, 2002 as Patriot Day.
On this day, the President requests that the American flag
be flown at half-staff
at individual American homes, at the White House, and on all U.S. government
buildings and establishments, home and abroad. The President also asks Americans to observe a moment of silence
beginning at 8:46 A.M. (Eastern Daylight Time
), the time the first plane struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center
on September 11, 2001.
(R-NY) with 22 co-sponsors, among them eleven Democrats
and eleven Republicans
. It passed the House by a vote of 407–0, with 25 members not voting, and passed the Senate unanimously on November 30. It was signed by President Bush, without ceremony, on December 18 as Public Law No. 107-89.
Its original co-sponsors in the House were:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Patriot Day occurs on September 11 of each year, designated in memory of the 2,977 killed
Casualties of the September 11 attacks
The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 by Al-Qaeda resulted in 2,996 immediate deaths, including the 19 hijackers and 2,977 victims. 372 foreign nationals perished in the attacks, representing just over 12% of the total...
in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Most Americans who were alive during the events refer to the day as "Nine-Eleven (9/11)", "September Eleventh", or some variation thereof . Initially, the day was called the Prayer and Remembrance for the Victims of the Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001.
U.S. House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Joint Resolution 71 was approved by a vote of 407–0 on October 25, 2001. It requested that the President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
designate September 11 of each year as "Patriot Day". President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
signed the resolution into law on December 18, 2001 (as Public Law 107-89). It is a discretionary day of remembrance. On September 4, 2002, President Bush used his authority created by the resolution and proclaimed September 11, 2002 as Patriot Day.
On this day, the President requests that the American flag
Flag of the United States
The national flag of the United States of America consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars alternating with rows...
be flown at half-staff
Half-staff
Half-staff is the American term for to describe a flag flying a flag below the summit of the flagpole . The rest of the English-speaking world uses the term half-mast. Technically the flag should be flown one breadth lower to allow for the invisible flag of death...
at individual American homes, at the White House, and on all U.S. government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
buildings and establishments, home and abroad. The President also asks Americans to observe a moment of silence
Moment of silence
A moment of silence is the expression for a period of silent contemplation, prayer, reflection, or meditation. Similar to flying a flag at half-mast, a moment of silence is often a gesture of respect, particularly in mourning for those who have recently died or as part of a commemoration ceremony...
beginning at 8:46 A.M. (Eastern Daylight Time
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
), the time the first plane struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
on September 11, 2001.
History
A bill to make September 11 a mourning day was introduced in the U.S. House on October 25, 2001, by Republican Vito FossellaVito Fossella
Vito John Fossella, Jr. is a U.S. Republican politician from the state of New York who formerly represented the state's 13th Congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives for six terms, from 1997 to 2009 serving as the lone Republican from New York City. Fossella, a Staten Island...
(R-NY) with 22 co-sponsors, among them eleven Democrats
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
and eleven Republicans
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. It passed the House by a vote of 407–0, with 25 members not voting, and passed the Senate unanimously on November 30. It was signed by President Bush, without ceremony, on December 18 as Public Law No. 107-89.
Its original co-sponsors in the House were:
- Gary AckermanGary AckermanGary Leonard Ackerman is the U.S. Representative for , serving since a special election in 1983. He is a member of the Democratic Party...
(D-NY) - Rick BoucherRick BoucherFrederick Carlyle "Rick" Boucher is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1983 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life, education and career:...
(D-VA) - Eliot L. EngelEliot L. EngelEliot Lance Engel is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He previously represented the 19th District from 1989 to 1993...
(D-NY) - Phil EnglishPhil EnglishPhilip Sheridan "Phil" English served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 - 2009 from the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, representing the state's 3rd Congressional district....
(R-PA) - Randy ForbesRandy ForbesJames Randy Forbes is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2001. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education and career:...
(R-VA) - Benjamin A. GilmanBenjamin A. GilmanBenjamin Arthur "Ben" Gilman is a former Republican United States Representative from New York. Born in Poughkeepsie, New York, Gilman graduated from Middletown High School in Middletown, New York in 1941 and received a B.S. from the Wharton School Finance at the University of Pennsylvania in...
(R-NY) - Felix GrucciFelix GrucciFelix J. Grucci, Jr. is a former United States Representative from East Patchogue, New York. He was elected as a Republican to the 107th United States Congress and served from 2001 until 2003.-Early political life:...
, Jr. (R-NY) - Maurice HincheyMaurice HincheyMaurice Dunlea Hinchey , is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Democratic Party...
(D-NY) - Steve IsraelSteve IsraelSteve J. Israel is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2001. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district is located on Long Island and includes the towns of Huntington, Babylon, Islip, and Smithtown in Suffolk County, part of the town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, and the...
(D-NY) - Peter T. KingPeter T. KingPeter T. "Pete" King is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Republican Party. King's central Long Island district includes parts of Nassau and Suffolk counties....
(R-NY) - Ray LaHoodRay LaHoodRaymond H. "Ray" LaHood is a Republican politician from Illinois who is currently the United States Secretary of Transportation, having served since 2009. Previously, he represented the Illinois's 18th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives for seven terms .-Early life and...
(R-IL) - Nita LoweyNita LoweyNita Melnikoff Lowey is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. She is a member of the Democratic Party. She previously represented the 20th district from 1989 to 1993.-Early life, education and career:...
(D-NY) - Carolyn B. MaloneyCarolyn B. MaloneyCarolyn Bosher Maloney is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district, popularly known as the "silk stocking district", includes most of Manhattan's East Side; Astoria and Long Island City in Queens; and Roosevelt Island.-Early life,...
(D-NY) - Michael R. McNultyMichael R. McNultyMichael Robert "Mike" McNulty is a politician from the U.S. state of New York. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1989 to 2009, initially representing New York's 23rd congressional district and then, after redistricting, New York's 21st congressional district...
(D-NY) - Jim MoranJim MoranJames Patrick "Jim" Moran, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1991. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district is located in Northern Virginia and includes the cities of Falls Church and Alexandria, all of Arlington County, and a portion of Fairfax County.Jim Moran was...
(D-VA) - Jerrold NadlerJerrold NadlerJerrold Lewis "Jerry" Nadler is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1992. He is a member of the Democratic Party.The district includes the west side of Manhattan from the Upper West Side down to Battery Park, including the site where the World Trade Center stood...
(D-NY) - John E. PetersonJohn E. PetersonJohn E. Peterson is a Republican politician from the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. From 1997 - 2009, he represented the state's mainly rural and largely Republican 5th Congressional district in the U.S. House.-Biography:...
(R-PA) - Thomas M. ReynoldsThomas M. ReynoldsThomas M. Reynolds , commonly known as Tom Reynolds, is a politician from the U.S. state of New York, formerly representing the state's 26th Congressional district in the United States House of Representatives...
(R-NY) - Ed SchrockEd SchrockEdward Lee "Ed" Schrock is a retired career Naval officer and former Republican politician who served as a member of the U.S...
(R-VA) - Don SherwoodDon SherwoodDonald L. "Don" Sherwood is an American politician. He served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Pennsylvania's 10th congressional district, from 1999 to 2007...
(R-PA) - Ed Towns (D-NY)
- James T. WalshJames T. WalshJames Thomas "Jim" Walsh is an American Republican politician from Syracuse, New York. In 2009, he retired after representing a portion of Central New York, that is now known as the state's 25th Congressional District, in the United States House of Representatives for twenty years.-Early...
(R-NY)