Patriot Day is an annual day of observance in the United States held on September 11 to commemorate the 2,977 people killed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. It honors the victims who died at the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and in the crashed United Airlines Flight 93 near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. It is a national day of mourning and remembrance.
The observance was established by a presidential proclamation issued by President George W. Bush in December 2001 and was made official by a joint resolution of the U.S. Congress on December 18, 2001. On this day, the American flag is flown at half-staff at individual American homes, at the White House, and on all U.S. government buildings and establishments, both at home and abroad. A nationwide moment of silence is also observed at 8:46 a.m. (Eastern Daylight Time), the time the first plane struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center.
In 2009, the U.S. Congress designated September 11 as a National Day of Service and Remembrance, a directive signed into law by President Barack Obama. This addition encourages Americans to engage in community service and charitable activities as a tribute to the victims, survivors, and first responders of the 9/11 attacks. The day is distinct from Patriots' Day, a regional holiday in April commemorating early battles of the American Revolution.
