11 September 2001 - 20 Years Later

11 September 2001

Twenty Years Later

What happenedon 11 September 2001?

On 11 September 2001 (known as 9/11 in America), Islamist extremists hijacked four planes that were flying above the US. Two of them were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York.

Another was crashed into the Pentagon, the top military building in the capital city, Washington DC. The fourth plane crashed into a field, 80 miles from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The attacks shocked the world. It was the biggest terrorist attack ever on America.

The twin towers of the World Trade Center were the highest buildings in New York, and famous throughout the world. Their destruction transformed the city's skyline and would have a huge impact on the rest of the world for years to come.

9/11 Attacks by the Numbers

how many people died?

When the first plane struck, an estimated 17,400 people were in the towers. Nobody survived above the impact zone in the North Tower, but 18 managed to escape from the floors above the impact zone in the South Tower.

Citizens of 77 different countries were among the casualties. New York City lost 441 first responders.

Thousands of people were injured or later developed illnesses connected to the attacks, including firefighters who had worked in toxic debris.

In all, 2,977 people (not counting the 19 hijackers) lost their lives, most of them in New York. All 246 passengers and crew aboard the four planes were killed. At the Twin Towers, 2,606 people died - then or later of injuries. At the Pentagon, 125 people were killed.

The youngest victim was two-year-old Christine Lee Hanson, who died on one of the planes with her parents Peter and Sue. The oldest was 82-year-old Robert Norton, who was on another plane with his wife Jacqueline, en route to a wedding.

Who were the attackers?

An Islamist extremist network called al-Qaeda planned the attacks from Afghanistan. Led by Osama Bin Laden, al-Qaeda blamed the US and its allies for conflicts in the Muslim world. Nineteen people carried out the hijackings, working in three teams of five and one of four (on the plane which crashed in Pennsylvania).

Each group included someone who had received pilot training. This was carried out at flying schools in the US itself. Fifteen hijackers were Saudis like Bin Laden himself. Two were from the United Arab Emirates, one was from Egypt and one was from Lebanon.

Where did the planes crash?

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People fleeing the scene by foot were covered in dust and ash. Rescue efforts at Ground Zero continued until October 9, and the flames from the collapse burned until December 20.

After the terrorist attacks, President Bush declared a "War on Terror," targeting the Al Qaeda terrorists responsible for the attack. Al Qaeda's leader, Osama Bin Laden, was killed 10 years later. The national response included a large expansion of America's security efforts.

Flight safety was tightened around the world in the years following 9/11. It took more than eight months to clean up "Ground Zero" - the site of the fallen Twin Towers. Reconstruction at the Pentagon took just under a year, with staff back in their offices by August 2002.

What does it mean to be “resilient?” The Survivor Tree is a symbol of hope and resilience for many people who visit the 9/11 Memorial. Learn the story of the Survivor Tree...

Almost a month after the 9/11 attacks, a survivor was found in the ruins. Extensively damaged with its roots and limbs snapped and its trunk blackened and burned, rescue and recovery workers pulled a Callery pear tree from the rubble. The tree was placed in the care of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation and was nursed back to health.

In 2010, the tree was brought to the 9/11 Memorial site. Now known as the Survivor Tree, today the tree stands next to the South Pool as a living reminder of resilience, survival and hope.

A memorial and a museum now stands on the site, and buildings have risen up again, to a different design. The completed centrepiece - One World Trade Center, or "Freedom Tower" - stands even higher (1,776ft (541m) than the original North Tower, which was 1,368ft. The Tribute in Light is the annual public art installation that illuminates the sky above New York City from dusk.

The Tribute in Light is the annual public art installation that illuminates from dusk on September 11 to dawn on September 12. Tribute in Light is a commemorative public art installation first presented six months after 9/11.

It illuminates the sky above New Yorl every year thereafter, from dusk on September 11 to dawn on September 12. It has become an iconic symbol that both honors those killed and celebrates the unbreakable spirit of New York.

9/11 - 20 Years Later

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