h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Excellent posting. As one who lived near a military installation near Washington D.C. the fear was real and intense. One little factual error noted on your chronology:
10:46

US Defence Secretary, Colin Powell, cuts short his visit to Latin America to return back to the US.

The Defense Secretary is Donald Rumsberger, Colin Powell is (was) the Secretary of State.

To further highlight the impact of that day, my job at the time was as a Speech-Language Pathologist in a public school (aka state school in GB) and as the news filtered thoughout the building that day (I was in a school with 10 to 12 year old students)fear started to mount. It was announced at about 11:15 that school was closing and the town was shutting down. The staff and teachers were able to serve 1000 students lunch and evacuate the building in about 40 minutes. I found myself helping in the cafeteria moving students in and out of the lunch line. The students were confused and I remember saying that school was closing early. I couldn't think of anything else to say at that time. It was announced by the principal before dismissal that there was a terrorist attack in New York and Washington and that school needed to be closed for the rest of the day.
My own children were at another school and I was able to pick them up without a problem. They were 6 and 7 years old. My son (7) was concerned and my daughter (6) was confused. When we got home, we watched the coverage and I had to explain to them why someone would do this. After the information sank in, they both became very worried about my wife, also working at a school, had not come home yet. For about 1 hour, we were a mixture of sad, worried, afraid and confused. Now I have a liberal political leaning, but I do have the resolve NEVER to feel those feelings again. I am saddened that the administration has squandered the good will of the world post 9/11, but I feel that across the world these acts will not be tolerated again. I also feel that a change has come to the general American's feelings as to the dangers of the world. Never again will you find hijacking attempts being unchallenged. Flight 93 changed how we view ourselves and how we will respond to these threats.

Gosh I'm wordy,

Thanks
John