The Day America Changed : 9/11
- 5 years ago
September 11, 2001
Masterminded by Saudi
national Osama bin Laden, four
American airplanes were hijacked by 19
members of the terrorist group, al Qaeda. The terrorists flew two of the planes into the
Twin Towers of the World Trade Center
in New York City. Hours later, a deeply shocked
nation watched the collapse of the
Twin Towers live on national television. A third plane was flown into the
west side of the Pentagon
military headquarters. Passengers on the fourth plane, United Flight 93,
overtook the terrorists. The plane crashed into a
Shanksville, PA, field rather than its unknown target. Nearly 3,000 people
died in the attacks, the most
significant in American history. Nearly 10,000 people
who were exposed to the debris
of the fallen towers have been
diagnosed with 9/11-related cancer. The economic toll
of the attacks has
approached $1 trillion. In response to 9/11, the
Department of Homeland
Security was created. On the ten-year anniversary
of the attack, the World Trade
Center memorial "Reflecting
Absence" was opened to the public.
Masterminded by Saudi
national Osama bin Laden, four
American airplanes were hijacked by 19
members of the terrorist group, al Qaeda. The terrorists flew two of the planes into the
Twin Towers of the World Trade Center
in New York City. Hours later, a deeply shocked
nation watched the collapse of the
Twin Towers live on national television. A third plane was flown into the
west side of the Pentagon
military headquarters. Passengers on the fourth plane, United Flight 93,
overtook the terrorists. The plane crashed into a
Shanksville, PA, field rather than its unknown target. Nearly 3,000 people
died in the attacks, the most
significant in American history. Nearly 10,000 people
who were exposed to the debris
of the fallen towers have been
diagnosed with 9/11-related cancer. The economic toll
of the attacks has
approached $1 trillion. In response to 9/11, the
Department of Homeland
Security was created. On the ten-year anniversary
of the attack, the World Trade
Center memorial "Reflecting
Absence" was opened to the public.