Abdulaziz al-Omari
A Saudi national who was one of the hijackers aboard American Airlines Flight 11, which was crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.
1979–2001 (age 22)·Saudi terrorist and 9/11 hijacker·Birthday: May 28·Generation X
Biography
Abdulaziz al-Omari was a figure whose life is defined by a single, catastrophic day. A Saudi citizen from Asir province, he was reported to have studied in Germany and was known within his circles as an imam. In the lead-up to September 11, 2001, he entered the United States and became a key operative in the plot orchestrated by al-Qaeda. Paired with ringleader Mohamed Atta, al-Omari boarded American Airlines Flight 11 in Boston on the morning of the attacks. He and the other hijackers seized control of the aircraft, which was deliberately flown into the North Tower of the World Trade Center, killing everyone on board and thousands in the building. His actions, part of the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil, cemented his name in history as an agent of profound tragedy.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Abdulaziz was born in 1979, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Abdulaziz Was Born
The biggest hits of 1979
#1 Movie
Kramer vs. Kramer
Best Picture
Kramer vs. Kramer
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
Abdulaziz's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1979Born
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1984Started school
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1992Became a teenager
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1995Could drive
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1997Could vote
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2000Turned 21
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2001Died at 22
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
Did You Know?
A passport allegedly belonging to him was found a few blocks from the World Trade Center site, though its authenticity and how it survived are debated.
He was reported to have had a degree in Islamic Studies from a university in Saudi Arabia.
In a video recorded before the attacks, he spoke of his desire for martyrdom.
“We are ready for everything in the name of God.”
