DAY OF EVIL When was 9/11 and what happened on the date of the attack?

Tariq Tahir

THE horrific events of 9/11 continue to shape the world we live in, almost two decades after they took place.

Thousands were killed during the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York, Washington, DC and Pennsylvania.

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The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center had planes flown into them by terroristsCredit: Getty Images

When did the attacks take place?

On September 11, 2001, a group of al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four airliners.

Two planes - American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 75 - crashed into the North and South towers of the World Trade Center complex in New York City.

8.46am - The first American Airlines plane hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center

9.03am - Just 20 minutes later, a second plane crashed into the South Tower

9.37am - Later, a third plane then hit the Pentagon in Washington DC

10.03am - A fourth plane crashed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as passengers fought with the hijackers on the flight.

9.59am - The South Tower was the first to collapse after burning for around 56 minutes.

10.28am - The North Tower fell not long after

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The horrific events of 9/11 continue to shape the world we live in, 19 years after they took placeCredit: Getty - Contributor

How many people died in the terror attack on the World Trade Center?

Of the 2,996 who died on 9/11, including the 19 hijackers, 2,606 were killed at the World Trade Center and the surrounding area.

Both towers collapsed following the impact, with debris causing more deaths and injury on the streets below.

Many people including the emergency response teams lost their lives trying to save others. It was the worst loss of life due to a terrorist incident on US soil.

Those killed included:

• 2,606 killed in or around the World Trade Center
• 67 British people
• 300 New York firefighters

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The Falling Man is one of the most-remembered photos from the attackCredit: Getty

Among those who died was “The Falling Man”, a figure photographed falling from the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 9.41am.

Many of those trapped in the towers threw themselves out of windows as they realised they wouldn't be able to make it out in time.

The person in the photograph has never been identified, but it's thought he worked at the Windows of the World restaurant in the North Tower.

About 40 per cent - or 1,109 victims - of the reported 2,753 missing from the Twin Towers remain unidentified.

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Smoke pours from the twin towers of the World Trade Center after the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001

In 2011, 10 years after the attacks, American officials said more than 18,000 people were still suffering from illnesses linked to the dust. Osama bin Laden, the  founder of Al-Qaeda, orchestrated the attacks. Bin Laden was finally hunted down and killed by US forces in May of 2011, nearly 10 years following 9/11.

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The memorial to those killed sits in the shadow of the One World Trade Center, which replaced the Twin TowersCredit: Getty - Contributor

Where is the memorial?

The National September 11 Memorial & Museum is at the original World Trade Center site.

The memorial features two huge, deep pools at the base of the old towers.

Around the edges of the pools, each almost an acre in size, the names of those who were killed in the attacks are embossed in bronze panels.

It includes the names of 2,996 people killed by al-Qaeda in New York, the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania.

 

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