A fresh Ipsos survey shows that almost half of American adults view the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks as one of the most consequential events they have lived through. Released Tuesday, the poll found that 47% of respondents named 9/11 when asked to list up to five historic moments that had the greatest impact on their lives.

The COVID-19 pandemic was the second most-cited event, mentioned by 31% of those surveyed. The presidency of Barack Obama followed, with 16% of respondents naming it as a defining occurrence.

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Ipsos conducted the survey from August 21 to 23, interviewing over 1,000 Americans aged 18 and older. The timing was deliberate, coming just ahead of the 25th anniversary of the attacks. Among those polled, 75% said they personally remember exactly where they were when they learned of the attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people.

The trauma of that day continues to shape American life, from the prolonged wars in the Middle East to sweeping changes in national security policy. The poll also reflects a generational shift: 13% of respondents said they do not recall hearing the news, while 11% were not yet born at the time. Another 1% chose not to answer. Adults aged 18 to 24, along with some 25-year-olds, were born after the attacks.

The attacks claimed 2,977 lives at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and aboard United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers fought the hijackers. In the years since, more than 400,000 people have been exposed to toxic substances from the World Trade Center site, according to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, leaving many with chronic health problems.

On Tuesday, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) released documents related to the city's response to air quality concerns after 9/11, accusing city leaders of having "lied" about the safety of the air. The release adds another layer to the ongoing reckoning with the attacks' aftermath.

The Ipsos poll surveyed 1,013 people and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.