On September 11, 2001 the face of America was forever changed. American Airlines Flight 11, originally bound for Los Angeles, was hijacked by five men. The plane hit between the 93′rd and 99′th floors of the 110 story building, damaging the central core of the and causing a massive fire.
American Airlines Flight 77 and United Airlines flight 175 were simultaneously commandeered by five hijackers each. At 9:03 AM as terrified New Yorkers and television viewers watched in horror, Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center between the 77′th and 85′th floors. Undetected, Flight 77 changed course and headed for Washington D.C., and at 9:37 AM crashed into the western side of the Pentagon building.
United Airlines Flight 93 was hijacked by 4 terrorists and headed toward Washington D.C. Unlike the other three flights the passengers of Flight 93 became aware of the flights’ takeover. After phone calls to loved ones the passengers learned of the other three flights and their sad fate. The passengers voted, and decided to try to take back the plane by force. At 10:03 am Flight 93 went down in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, about 174 miles from Washington D.C. Although the intended goal was not confirmed, it is believed that the White House or the Capitol building were plausible targets.
Meanwhile, back in New York City, evacuations of the Twin Towers and surrounding buildings were still in progress. Then, at 9:59 AM, the South Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed with a deafening roar and a huge cloud of smoke and dust. By this time the story had become global and the disaster was being viewed by millions around the world. At 10:28 AM the North Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed. Many other buildings were damaged or destroyed as a consequence of the Towers falling.
The events of that September morning would forever change the United States. Al-Qaeda took credit for the attacks, which started a war on terror that is still going more than 10 years later. In total that day 2,752 lives were lost due to the terrorist attacks. September 11, 2001 is a now infamous day in American History.
