Pastime | Episode
Pastime

How 9/11 became a meme

Today, Explained | Sep 11 2026 | 00:25:40

On the 25th anniversary of the deadliest attack on America, 9/11 has quite possibly become the most memed event in human history.

This episode was produced by Peter Balonon-Rosen, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by Gabriel Dunatov, engineered by David Tatasciore and Bridger Dunnagan, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram.

President George W. Bush was reading to an elementary school classroom in Sarasota, Florida on September 11, 2001 when White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card informed him about the second plane hitting the World Trade Center towers. Photo by Paul J. Richards/AFP via Getty Images.

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