Today marks 23 years since the tragedy that changed everything. I remember the news coverage - the sight of planes crashing into the towers, the smoke, the fire, and then the silence. Many lives were lost that day, including those of children, all of whom were aboard the hijacked planes. Were they aware of what was coming? Or did they hold out hope that they would soon wake from the nightmare? The youngest child to die on 9/11 was Christine, who was traveling on what was supposed to be an exciting trip to Disneyland, clutching her favorite stuffed toy - Peter Rabbit.
September 11: The World Stood Still
Christine Lee Hanson was traveling with her parents, Sue Kim Hanson and Peter Hanson, flying from Groton, Massachusetts. They boarded United Flight 175 at Logan Airport. Their destination was Los Angeles, California, where they planned to visit relatives before heading to Disneyland. What was meant to be a grand adventure turned into a nightmare, as the hijacked plane never reached its destination.
The plane crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center at 9:03 AM. Moments before the impact, Peter, Christine’s father, had managed to make a farewell phone call to his own father, knowing it was the end.
Christine held onto her favorite stuffed animal - Peter Rabbit from Beatrix Potter’s classic series, a gift from her grandmother on her birthday.
Christine was a bright, active toddler who loved trips to the playground and helping her father in the garden
- reads a tribute on 911memorial.org, a site dedicated to memorializing the victims of the 9/11 attacks and preserving their legacies.
In 2014, Christine’s beloved Peter Rabbit was entrusted to the 9/11 Memorial Museum by her grandparents, Eunice and Lee Hanson. Two Winnie the Pooh stickers that Christine had placed on Peter Rabbit’s belly remain there to this day.
She would stick stickers on everything she liked; I suppose it was her way of showing appreciation
- Eunice Hanson once recalled.
Christine Was Not the Only Child Victim of 9/11
Christine Lee Hanson was the youngest victim of the 9/11 attacks but not the only child to lose her life. Among the thousands of men and women who perished that day were eight children, making their loss particularly heartbreaking.
Alongside Christine, two other young children were on the same flight. The remaining five children were aboard the other planes that also crashed on September 11, 2001.
