September 11, 2001, remains one of the darkest and most consequential days in modern history, when the United States was struck by a coordinated terrorist attack that killed 2,977 people and changed the course of global affairs.
On this day 25 years ago, 19 terrorists associated with al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial airplanes as part of a coordinated attack against the United States.
Two of the aircraft were deliberately flown into the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers in New York City, a third struck the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, while passengers and crew members on the fourth plane fought back against the hijackers before the aircraft crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
The attacks began shortly after 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time.
At 8:46 a.m., American Airlines Flight 11, which had been hijacked after departing Boston, crashed into floors 93 through 99 of the North Tower of the World Trade Center.
Seventeen minutes later, at 9:03 a.m., United Airlines Flight 175 struck floors 77 through 85 of the South Tower.
The impact of the two aircraft and the resulting fires severely damaged the towers. The fires weakened structural components of the buildings, eventually causing both towers to collapse.
The South Tower collapsed first at 9:59 a.m., less than an hour after being struck.
At 9:37 a.m., American Airlines Flight 77 had crashed into the Pentagon, killing everyone aboard the aircraft and people inside the building.
Meanwhile, passengers aboard United Airlines Flight 93 learned through telephone calls that other hijacked planes had struck buildings in New York and the Pentagon.
Passengers and crew members then launched a counterattack against the hijackers in an attempt to regain control of the aircraft.
At 10:03 a.m., Flight 93 crashed into an empty field near Shanksville in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. All 40 passengers and crew members aboard were killed. The aircraft was believed to have been headed toward Washington, D.C.
At 10:28 a.m., the North Tower collapsed, bringing down the remaining structure of the World Trade Center complex and leaving lower Manhattan covered in dust and debris.
In total, 2,977 people were killed in the September 11 attacks. They included 2,753 people in New York, 184 at the Pentagon and 40 passengers and crew members aboard Flight 93. The victims came from 90 countries.
More than 400 first responders were among those killed, including firefighters, police officers and emergency personnel who rushed into the World Trade Center to help evacuate and rescue those trapped inside.
The attacks became the deadliest terrorist attack in history and had consequences far beyond the locations where the planes crashed.
In the aftermath, the United States launched a massive investigation into the attacks. The FBI’s investigation, known as PENTTBOM, became the largest investigation in the agency’s history, involving thousands of agents and hundreds of thousands of investigative leads. (FBI)
The attacks also led to major changes in U.S. national security, aviation security and counterterrorism policies, while influencing international military and political events for decades.
Today, September 11 is remembered not only for the destruction and loss of life, but also for the extraordinary courage shown by passengers, firefighters, police officers, emergency workers and ordinary people who responded during one of the most devastating days in modern history.
Twenty-five years later, the names of the 2,977 victims continue to be remembered at the National September 11 Memorial in New York City.
September 11 remains a day of remembrance for those who lost their lives, those who survived, and the countless families, first responders and communities whose lives were forever changed.
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