--- title: Most Significant Event in Your Lifetime? Survey Says 9/11 description: A new survey by the Pew Research Center and the History channel asked Americans to list the significant historic events they'd lived through canonical: https://time.com/4602036/pew-significant-historic-events-americans-lifetimes/ author: Olivia B. Waxman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-12-15T15:01:06.000Z article:modified_time: 2023-12-13T14:36:20.000Z article:section: History og:title: Most Significant Event in Your Lifetime? Survey Says 9/11 og:description: A new survey asked Americans to list the significant historic events they'd lived through og:url: https://time.com/4602036/pew-significant-historic-events-americans-lifetimes/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5783b9a16504f7c0/6988b2f9e20a87aa69a9388a/911.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: September 11 Retrospective og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Most Significant Event in Your Lifetime? Survey Says 9/11 twitter:description: A new survey asked Americans to list the significant historic events they'd lived through twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5783b9a16504f7c0/6988b2f9e20a87aa69a9388a/911.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Americans Rank These 10 Historic Events as Most Important in Their Lifetimes > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Subscription: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME is a general-interest news organization founded in 1923, reporting on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world. A TIME subscription provides full access to that journalism in print and digital, from $20 a year, and can be cancelled at any time. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription.  by [Olivia B. Waxman](https://time.com/author/olivia-b-waxman/)  ## Olivia B. Waxman Staff Writer Updated: Dec 13, 2023 2:36 PM UTCPublished: Dec 15, 2016 3:01 PM UTC  The "Tribute in Light" memorial to the World Trade Center is seen from the Empire State Building April 3, 2002 in New York City. The "Tribute in Light" memorial to the World Trade Center is seen from the Empire State Building April 3, 2002 in New York City. Mario Tama / Getty Images  by [Olivia B. Waxman](https://time.com/author/olivia-b-waxman/)  ## Olivia B. Waxman Staff Writer Updated: Dec 13, 2023 2:36 PM UTCPublished: Dec 15, 2016 3:01 PM UTC A person’s life can be shaped in very particular ways[ by the specific set of moments in history](http://time.com/4359209/donald-trump-baby-boomer/) that he or she has lived through. And, according to new data, Americans believe that one such event had a bigger impact on their lives today—and on the country as a whole—than any other. The vast majority of Americans asked to name important historic events in their lifetimes rated the [attacks](http://time.com/collection/beyond-911/) that took place on [Sept. 11, 2001](http://time.com/4484978/911-september-11-time-cover/), as one of the most significant such moments, in a new survey conducted by [Pew Research Center ](http://www.people-press.org/2016/12/15/americans-name-the-10-most-significant-historic-events-of-their-lifetimes.)in partnership with[ A+E Networks’ HISTORY channel](http://www.history.com/) for the documentary _This_ _Is History: 2016,_ which airs on Dec. 19. The survey asked respondents to list 10 historic events that occurred during their lifetimes that they thought “have had the greatest impact on the country.” In response, [9/11 ](http://time.com/4453467/911-september-11-falling-man-photo/)was listed by roughly 76% of the public — including majorities of men and women, in every region of the country and across every generation surveyed (Millennials, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Silent Generation). The poll was conducted between June 16 and July 4 and sampled 2,025 adults. [_Get your history fix in one place: sign up for the weekly TIME History newsletter_](http://time.com/newsletter)  Pew Research Center However, when the lists are collated by race rather than age, region or gender, a difference does emerge: while the [Sept. 11th attacks](http://time.com/3304315/september-11-articles/) topped lists made by white respondents, the [2008 election of President Barack Obama](http://content.time.com/time/person-of-the-year/2008/) topped lists made by African-Americans, though by a small enough amount that the two events were essentially tied. The runner-up among all respondents was the election of Barack Obama to the presidency (listed by 40%).  Pew Research Center The data also reveal that a person’s age at the time of the event in question can shape their opinion of its significance—perhaps an unsurprising finding given that the poll specifically questioned respondents about events they had personally lived through. “The survey finds that Americans are primarily bound together by their generation and the major events that occurred during their formative years,” the report states. “For the oldest Americans, the Silent and Greatest generations, that unifying event is World War II. For Baby Boomers, the assassination of John F. Kennedy and the Vietnam War are defining moments. For Millennials and Gen Xers, the 9/11 terror attacks and the Obama election leads the list by a greater margin than for other generations.” In addition, the fact that Republicans and Democrats alike listed 9/11 as one of the most significant events—despite likely divergent opinions on policy solutions to fighting terrorism—represents “a fragile base of unity in the middle of our political polarization,” argues Claudia Deane, Vice President of Research at Pew Research Center. “We’re not divided in what we think is important,” she says. “We’re just divided in what we should do about it.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4602036/pew-significant-historic-events-americans-lifetimes/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4602036/pew-significant-historic-events-americans-lifetimes/"},"headline":"Americans Rank These 10 Historic Events as Most Important in Their Lifetimes","datePublished":"2016-12-15T15:01:06.000Z","dateModified":"2023-12-13T14:36:20.000Z","description":"A new survey asked Americans to list the significant historic events they'd lived through","url":"https://time.com/4602036/pew-significant-historic-events-americans-lifetimes/","keywords":["society"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5783b9a16504f7c0/6988b2f9e20a87aa69a9388a/911.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Olivia B. 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