The world as we knew it was redefined on September 11, 2001. The shock and pain of that attack has reached way beyond the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, and is now borne by virtually every decent and caring person on earth. The aftermath will surely live with Americans alongside the attack on Pearl Harbor and the assassination of President Kennedy for many years to come, if not forever.

Nowhere is that grievous sensibility more evident than in the City of New York, especially among those whose lives were most deeply affected. For the rest of the world, the very perception of the New Yorker was changed on that morning. Suddenly a city historically recognized for nearly 400 years for its brashness, strength, diversity and resolve was recast throughout the world within an entirely new frame of reference.

City Legacy, an idea that has percolated for years and was introduced on the Internet several months ago, is committed to capturing the history of the City of New York since its beginning in the early seventeenth century. The events of September 11, however, add new depth to that historical legacy, and the way New Yorkers handled that day is intricately tied to the city's past.

Tragedy is not new to New Yorkers. We have felt its pain, and reached out to and received tremendous help from others on many occasions.