It's September 4, a Monday. School is starting again, and the days are getting shorter as fall approaches. The song Sexy Back by Justin Timberlake is at the top of the charts, and the movie Cashback is a box office hit. It's also Macadamia Nut Day and Newspaper Carrier Day.
The nation marks the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Thousands of people gather for vigils and prayer services. In a nationally televised address, President Bush says Saddam Hussein was not involved in the attacks, but success in Iraq is vital to America's security.
A classified National Intelligence Estimate, parts of which were leaked to the media, warns that the war in Iraq has helped fuel Islamic extremism worldwide. John Negroponte, director of national intelligence, approved the estimate.
Australian wildlife conservationist and television personality Steve Irwin, who gained fame as the exuberant and risk-taking host of The Crocodile Hunter TV series and related documentaries, is killed by a stingray while filming in the Great Barrier Reef for the show Ocean's Deadliest. Irwin was 42. He was pronounced dead at the scene. His daughter Bindi later becomes a nature show host and conservationist.
