It has been 20 years on and still, '9/11' remains one of the iconic dates that can't be forgotten even now after the catastrophic attacks were carried on the infamous Twin Towers of World Trade Center in the New York . The September 11 attacks are referred as the '9/11 attacks' and for years the numbers have become synonymous with the terror attack.
The number '9/11' (Nine Eleven) or '911' (Nine One One) has now got a distinct identity due to the attacks carried by al Qaeda against the USA. The attacks have made 911 a dark memory worldwide and especially for the Americans till date.
However, 911 does have other unique identities - it is also largely famous as USA's emergency number. The three-digit helpline number existed years before the attacks. The three-digit telephone number "9-1-1" has been designated as the "Universal Emergency Number," for citizens throughout the United States to request emergency assistance and came into the service in the year 1968.
But this three digit number holds relevance for many other reasons, while some know them already but some do not. Here's a look at the other relevant facts which have made the number '911' famous with its inclusion:
PIC: pikrepo
1. Philippines' emergency number:
9-1-1, commonly referred to as 911, is the national emergency telephone number of the Philippines managed by the Emergency 911 National Office. On August 1, 2016, 911 and 8888, a public complaint hotline, effectively replaced Patrol 117. In 2016, at his first cabinet meeting after his inauguration, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte vowed to put up a complaint hotline, 8888, while Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said that the existing 117 hotline would be replaced by 911.
On August 1, 2016, 911 was launched as the nationwide emergency hotline number by the Philippine National Police (PNP). 9-1-1 is patterned on the same system that was implemented in Davao City by President Rodrigo Duterte while he was still mayor.
2. Porsche 911 model:
The Porsche 911 (pronounced Nine Eleven or in German: Neunelfer) is a two-door 2+2 high performance rear-engined sports car introduced in September 1964 by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. It has a rear-mounted flat-six engine and a torsion bar suspension. The car has been continuously enhanced through the years but the basic concept has remained unchanged. The engines were air-cooled until the introduction of the 996 series in 1998.
The 911 has been raced extensively by private and factory teams, in a variety of classes. Although Porsche has used internal code numbers for each series of the 911, all models have been marketed and sold as 911s. A series letter is used by Porsche to indicate the revision for production cars, usually on an annual basis.
3. English pop group:
911 (pronounced "nine one one") are an English pop group consisting of Lee Brennan, Jimmy Constable and Simon "Spike" Dawbarn. They were formed in London in 1995 and released their debut single "Night to Remember" in May 1996. This was followed by their debut album The Journey in March 1997, which was certified Gold by the BPI in November 1997.
In their five years together, 911 scored ten UK top 10 singles. They sold 10 million singles and 6 million albums around the world, and were very popular in South East Asia, where their first two albums went to number one. They announced their split in February 2000. 911 had their first top 10 hit in 1996 with "Don't Make Me Wait", which reached number 10.
On 22 June 2019, 911 made a comeback to South East Asia with their concert known as 911 The Reunion at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with a sold out show after their reunion in 2008, 2012.
4. BOAC Flight 911 tragedy:
While 9/11 attack has made an unforgettable memory, BOAC Flight 911 (callsign 'Speedbird 911') tragedy was a round-the-world flight operated by the British Overseas Airways Corporation that crashed near Mount Fuji in Japan on 5 March 1966, with the loss of all 113 passengers and 11 crew members. The Boeing 707 jetliner involved disintegrated mid-air shortly after departing from Tokyo, as a result of severe clear-air turbulence.
It was the third fatal passenger airline accident in Tokyo in a month, following the crash of All Nippon Airways Flight 60 on 4 February and that of Canadian Pacific Air Lines Flight 402 just the day before. The aircraft (registration G-APFE) arrived at Tokyo Haneda Airport at 12:40 on the day of the accident from Fukuoka Airport, where it had diverted the previous day due to conditions on the ground in Tokyo.
The investigation report concluded that "the aircraft suddenly encountered abnormally severe turbulence over Gotemba City which imposed a gust load considerably in excess of the design limit."
5. Lady Gaga's song:
"911" is a song by America's famous singer Lady Gaga recorded for her sixth studio album, Chromatica (2020). It was written by Gaga along with Justin Tranter, BloodPop, and Madeon, with the latter two also producing along with Benjamin Rice. The song appears as the album's eighth track, preceded by a string arrangement titled "Chromatica II".
On September 18, 2020, "911" was announced as the third single off Chromatica. Numerous music critics called the track one of the best from the album, praising both its production and songwriting.
6. Nine One One Taiwanese band:
Nine One One is a Taiwanese hip hop group from Taichung, Taiwan, composed of Hung Yuhung, Liao Chien-chih, and Chern Hawyeu. The group was formed on September 11, 2009 and began performing at temple festivals and night clubs. In 2016, the group was nominated for Best Group at the 27th Golden Melody Awards and was invited to perform at the venue. The music video for Nine One One's 2015 single "9453", featuring scenery from Penghu County, has been viewed over 50 million times on YouTube.
7. Wrestler Alfred Poling aka 911:
Alfred Poling (born January 22, 1957) is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by the ring name 911. He is best known for his appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) between 1994 and 1996. Poling was trained as a wrestler by Larry Sharpe. He debuted in 1990, wrestling on the independent circuit under the ring name "Al the Sledgehammer".
Poling achieved his greatest national exposure in Eastern Championship Wrestling (ECW) in the mid-1990s. His gimmick was as an enforcer of the "extreme" attitude; he was named 911 at The Night the Line Was Crossed on February 5, where he defeated Chad Austin in a rematch.
Poling had two big matches in 1995, scoring wins over Ron Simmons at Hostile City Showdown and Jim Steele at Barbed Wire, Hoodies & Chokeslams. At the 1996 House Party event, 911 teamed with Rey Misterio, Jr. to defeat The Eliminators in a tag team match, which would turn out to be his last match in ECW.
Throughout the late 1990s, 911 appeared with the New Jersey based Jersey All Pro Wrestling promotion, winning the JAPW Heavyweight Championship on two occasions.
8. 911 Agamemnon - an asteroid:
911 Agamemnon, provisional designation 1919 FD, is a large Jupiter trojan and a suspected binary asteroid from the Greek camp, approximately 168 kilometers (100 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 19 March 1919, by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth at the Heidelberg Observatory in southwest Germany. The dark D-type asteroid is one of the largest Jupiter trojans and has a rotation period of 6.6 hours. It is named after the Greek King Agamemnon, a main character of the Iliad.
