TODAY is the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks in New York.

The attacks and their aftermath were watched around the world and left people shocked, scared and upset.

We asked our readers about their memories of that awful day.

Here are just some of the replies:

Angela Davies: "Me and my partner were in Spain at the time and we got back to our room and Sky News was on the TV. I always remember Kay Burley was reporting and it as live and it was thought to have been an accident. Then the second plane hit as we were watching. Absolutely horrendous. The whole atmosphere in our resort was just one of shock and sadness and fear. An awful time and the news just got worse and more harrowing as the day unfolded."

Lynette Edwards Mahoney: "We were getting ready for work when it came on the news. We thought it was a movie. A terrible thing for people to kill others."

Ann Baldwin: "I worked at the Civic Centre. One of the office jokers told me about it. Thought it was a joke but soon realised it was not."

Joanne Tucker: "My mum phoned me as I was in work in Rhyl and I rushed to turn the TV on in the rest area and myself and colleagues were watching in disbelief. So frightening for you travelling at same time. Horrific for all those involved. May they RIP."

Theresa Christine Elliott: "My daughter was having her sixth birthday party and I remember looking at the TV and thinking what the hell has happened."

Val Reardon: "I was in work when I heard about it. I was shocked and dumbstruck for hours after. Unbelievable."

Natalie Jayne Waters Reid: "I had just finished work and was eight weeks pregnant with my second child. I laid on the bed just waiting for Neighbours to start. I thought I was watching a preview of a film that was coming out... honestly I couldn’t understand what it was. When it hit home it was real and happening I broke down."

Marion Mahoney: I" was in Greggs in John Frost Square when the lady serving me said that on the radio it stated there had been a bad plane crash. When I arrived home my husband was watching it and said look at this. Aberfan and this will be the two disasters I will remember till the end of my days."

Sian Westcott: "I was in Teignmouth and had been out walking in the countryside and did not know that anything awful had happened until the evening. We then spent the evening watching it on television. It was horrendous and we were so shocked."

Anne Rondel: "We were in Majorca. We came down to a very quiet breakfast. It was awful. I remember it was quiet on the beach later no one was talking or laughing. It was a strange day. Such a tragedy."

Gillian Bell Simmonds: "I was in work when one of the teachers came into the office and asked if we knew what was going on. We looked at the news and saw the second plane going into the second tower. We saw the people jumping to their deaths. I always think of the people who were never found. What their families must go through every single day. Breaks my heart."

Chris Baker: "My dad and I were in town and saw a crowd of people standing outside the Panasonic shop in Cambrian Road looking at the TV in the window. As we walked up to watch, the other plane hit. We really couldn’t believe it."

Sally Jones: "I had just picked up my children from school. They always watched children’s TV at that time. On every channel was an image of a plane that had crashed into one of the towers. I watched as the whole disaster unfolded in absolute disbelief with tears rolling from my eyes."

Jane Pugh: "I thought it was a film and was about to turn over when I saw it was the news. We rang our family where ever they were to tell them we love them!"

Elaine Thompson: "I was at Oakwood theme park celebrating my wedding anniversary with my children. I have never celebrated my anniversary since."

Linda Richards Pitman: "Sat feeding my then-14-day-old baby, watching it on TV sobbing and wondering what sort of world I'd brought my children in to."

Charlotte Harvey-Gibb: "I will never forget it and the realisation when the second plane hit that this was not a terrible accident. I was working in a high-rise office on the 14th floor and it did bring home a sense of vulnerability."

Doreen Jones: "I was on my way out to shop when my daughter rang and told me to put the TV on. That was it, I never went out. A friends husband was in New York on business and she couldn’t contact him. A terrible day."

Mandy Bond-Thorley: "I was at work. I had just got back from my lunch break having been to Marks & Spencer to do a bit of shopping. All of a sudden one of the mail room messengers came running onto the main office floor screaming 'Oh my God, the World Trade Centre has just been stuck by a passenger plane'. Everyone immediately presumed this was a tragic accident, until a short while later it was announced that a second passenger plane had hit the other tower. By now we realised that this was no coincidence, but something more sinister. Needless to say not much work was done after that. Everyone was in shock, phoning friends and family and listening out for updates on the radios dotted around the office."

Marjorie Brown: "On holiday in Greece. Just walked into a bar and saw the first plane hit. We all said it must be an accident and then came the second plane. Unbelievable. We had to come home on the Thursday and there were armed guards everywhere."

Brenda Robinson: "I was in work and it came up on the news. I was so shocked! It was unbelievable! We went to New York three months after it happened and the New Yorkers thanked us for coming and we did share their pain."

Alan Jennings: "I was flying to Gothenburg from Schipol Airport on a business trip. We started boarding when the news started to break. The guys sat next to me were from NYC, the KLM cabin crew did their best to keep them informed of any updates as both had families back in NYC. Needless to say the one hour 45 minute flight was very stressful for them."

Suzanne Perry: "We were in Crete. Our flight was at 10pm to return home. I was drying my hair when our son rang, saying put the TV on. It looked like a movie. We were lucky, we had our flight on time. I think there were delays to the London airports. I remember a lot of the guests sat in the bar area all talking about it, at that time we didn't know who was responsible for it. It was the first time I had ever heard the name Bin Laden."

Patricia Bees: "Sitting at my desk at the Argus and hearing the gasps in the newsroom. I remember going into the newsroom and seeing the horror on the TV as it was happening and then some of the reporters and the MD using my telephones because I had the only international line because I used to ring Ireland and European and US golf courses. Such a dreadful day. I will never forget it."

Jackie Littlejohns: "I was an infant teacher. After the children went home the headteacher brought the TV into my class and we watched events unfold. We then discussed how to deal with any upset or questions that the children might have. One teacher's husband was on business in New York at the time."

Annette Lorraine: "I was at work having finished a busy day teaching seven year olds. My assistant was helping me put up a display and went to fetch backing paper when she heard the news on the staff room TV. She came back into my classroom saying ‘what’s to become of us. A plane has just gone into the World Trade Centre’. It didn’t register immediately the horror of what had happened. Life hasn’t been the same since."

Sharon Thorpe: "I work for the ambulance service. We’d just got back for break on station. It had been a busy day. I glanced at the TV and thought it was an episode of Diagnosis Murder which used to be on in the afternoon. We soon realised sadly it wasn’t. We were watching as the second plane hit. We were sat glued to the TV. We were unable to draw away from the unbelievable horror, knowing our counterparts in New York were heading into that hell as others ran away for their lives. We sat watching in disbelief and realised we hadn’t had a call so spoke to control they told us the phones had virtually stopped ringing. Around 400 of those who died that day were emergency service staff. Life changed that day."

More of our coverage marking the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks: