September 11 tops ‘emotional moments’ poll

THE September 11 terror attacks in the US topped a poll of the most emotional moments in the past 50 years, it emerged yesterday.

The 2001 event was polled ahead of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997 and the Lockerbie disaster in 1988 in the league table of Britain's biggest highs and lows.

The survey by the Samaritans, which is due to be published today, ranked the Lockerbie bombing in which 270 people were killed ahead of this year's Gulf War and the Hillsborough disaster on the league table of events which have most touched Britons.

The Samaritans, a voluntary organisation which answers five million calls a year, compiled the list to celebrate its 50th birthday this weekend.

Respondents were allowed to cite five events over the last half century which had made a big impression upon them.

The survey found that personal tragedies had a huge affect on people some 27% cited the death of a loved one as one of their most emotional moments.

Nearly one in four (24%) said the birth of a child had touched them deeply.

Despite a rising divorce rate, only 2% said that their parents' separation had affected them, compared with 5% who cited passing exams.

The list of emotional moments includes:

1) September 11, 2001 61%.

2) Death of Diana 48%.

3) Lockerbie disaster 34%.

4) Gulf War 2003 33%.

5) Hillsborough disaster 30%.

6) Fall of the Berlin Wall 22%.

7) Live Aid 21%.

8) Nelson Mandela's release from prison 20%.

9) First man walking on the moon 17%.

10) Assassination of JFK 14%.