The touching way Jon Stewart handled 9/11 on 'The Daily Show' in 2001

As we anticipate what will inevitably be an epic goodbye from "The Daily Show" host Jon Stewart on Thursday, Business Insider is looking back at the host's greatest moments.

Way atop our list was Jon Stewart's touching monologue upon his return to the show after 9/11.

Visibly shaken by the tragic events, the lives lost, the damage done, and the fear the terrorists created, Stewart returned nine days after 9/11.

"They said to get back to work," Stewart said. "And there were no jobs for a man in the fetal position, under his desk crying, which I gladly would've taken. So, I come back here."

Stewart broke down several times throughout the monologue.

Holding back tears, Stewart explained that he and everyone at the show believed that what they do "is a privilege." He would go on to express how thankful he was that we live in a country that allows them to do what they do: satire and the freedom to criticize.

"The view from my apartment was the World Trade Center," he said. "Now, it's gone. And, they attacked it. This symbol of American ingenuity and strength and labor and imagination and commerce. And, it is gone. But, do you know what the view is now? The Statue of Liberty. The view from south Manhattan is now the Statue of Liberty. You can't beat that."

Re-watch Stewart's emotional monologue below: