Ahmed al-Ghamdi
A 22-year-old Saudi man who was one of the five hijackers responsible for crashing United Airlines Flight 175 into the World Trade Center's South Tower.
1979–2001 (age 22)·Saudi terrorist and 9/11 hijacker·Birthday: July 2·Generation X
Biography
Ahmed al-Ghamdi was a young man from the Al Bahah region of Saudi Arabia who became radicalized, likely through contact with extremist networks in Afghanistan. Little is documented about his early life, but by 2001 he was part of the Hamburg cell associated with Mohamed Atta, the tactical leader of the September 11 attacks. Al-Ghamdi arrived in the United States in the spring of 2001, along with other hijackers, for flight training and final preparations. On the morning of September 11, he boarded United Airlines Flight 175 in Boston. He and his four accomplices overpowered the crew and took control of the aircraft, deliberately flying it into the South Tower of the World Trade Center at 9:03 AM, killing all 65 people on board and hundreds more in the tower. His actions were part of a coordinated terrorist attack that profoundly altered global politics and security.
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.
Ahmed 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 Ahmed Was Born
The biggest hits of 1979
#1 Movie
Kramer vs. Kramer
Best Picture
Kramer vs. Kramer
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
Ahmed'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?
He held a commercial pilot's license from Saudi Arabia, though U.S. officials believed it was likely fraudulent.
His name and passport were found in a vehicle left at Logan International Airport on September 11.
He is sometimes confused with another 9/11 hijacker, Hamza al-Ghamdi, who was on a different flight; they were not closely related.
The 9/11 Commission Report notes he was selected for the operation for his ability to blend in and follow orders.
“The time for negotiation is over; now the blood of the believers speaks.”
