On September 11, 2001, the United States experienced the deadliest terrorist attacks in its history when 19 al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial airplanes and used them as weapons in coordinated suicide attacks.

• At 8:46 a.m., American Airlines Flight 11 was crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City.
• At 9:03 a.m., United Airlines Flight 175 hit the South Tower of the World Trade Center. Both towers caught fire and eventually collapsed within less than two hours, causing massive destruction and loss of life.
• At 9:37 a.m., American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon, the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense, near Washington, D.C., causing a partial collapse.
• The fourth plane, United Airlines Flight 93, was headed toward a target in Washington, D.C. (likely the White House or the U.S. Capitol), but passengers fought back against the hijackers, and the plane crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, at 10:03 a.m.

The attacks killed 2,977 people, including passengers, first responders, and civilians, and injured thousands more. The event shocked the nation and led to the U.S. launching the global War on Terror, including the invasion of Afghanistan to dismantle al-Qaeda and remove the Taliban from power

. Key facts:

• The Twin Towers were destroyed, along with five other buildings in the World Trade Center complex.
• The Federal Aviation Administration ordered all civilian aircraft to land immediately, shutting down U.S. airspace.
• The attacks were planned and executed by al-Qaeda, led by Osama bin Laden, who cited U.S. foreign policies as motivation.
• The event remains a defining moment in 21st-century American history

This tragic day resulted in the largest loss of life from a foreign attack on American soil and had profound global political and security consequences