As most of us may already know, September 11 2001 was a devastating and catastrophic day for all of the United States. The September 11 attacks were a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks by the Islamist terrorist group, Al-Qaeda, against the United States on the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001. Two of the planes were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, a third plane hit the Pentagon just outside Washington, D.C., and the fourth plane crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Here are a few facts about 9/11!

1. TWIN TOWERS COLLAPSE

At 8:46 a.m., five hijackers crashed American Airlines Flight 11 into the northern facade of the World Trade Center's North Tower. At 9:o3 a.m., the horror in New York took yet another catastrophic turn when United Airlines Flight 175 collided into the south tower of The World Trade Center, collapsing in a massive cloud of dust and smoke. As a result, almost everyone in the building and plane died, with approximately only 8 survivors.

2. PENTAGON ATTACK

The American Airlines Flight 77 circled around downtown Washington, D.C. moments before plunging into the left side of the Pentagon military headquarters at around 9:45 a.m. This caused the structural collapse of a portion of the giant concrete building, killing 125 military personnel and civilians, and 64 passengers.

3. DEATH RATE

The frightening terrorist attack took the life of around 3,000 people, including the 19 terrorists and the 24 victims whose remains have never been recovered. Children, mothers, fathers, sisters, and so much more were snatched away from their family and friends. At the time when the tower was collapsing, many people inside the building tried to escape by jumping from the windows, which unfortunately also resulted in death.

4. COMPENSATION FUND

The after effects of the attack were brutal as well. Many people working and residing in lower Manhattan were exposed to toxic fumes and particles being emitted from the towers as they burned to the ground. Later in the years, it was discovered that thousands were diagnosed with cancer, with the causes relating to 9/11. Over $7 billion dollars in compensation were given to the families of the victims and those who were injured; however, no amount of money could’ve brought back what they lost. In 2011, President Barack Obama renewed the funding after he signed the James Zagorda 9/11 Health and Compensation Act into law. It was named after a New York City police officer, James Zadroga, who contracted a respiratory disease after rescuing people from rubble at Ground Zero.

5. ANNIVERSARY AND MEMORIAL

On December 18, 2001, Congress approved naming September 11 “Patriot Day” to commemorate the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The first memorials to September 11 started in the immediate wake of the attack with flowers and candles at U.S. embassies around the world. came in the immediate wake of the attacks, with candlelight vigils and flower tributes at U.S. embassies around the world.

In 2002, the first anniversary of the attacks, two bright columns of light were shot up into the sky from where the Twin Towers once stood. The “Tribute in Light” then became an annual installation.

A design by Michael Arad, “Reflecting Absence,” now sits outside the museum in an eight-acre park. It consists of two reflecting pools with waterfalls rushing down where the Twin Towers once rose into the sky. The names of all 3,000 victims are engraved on the 152 bronze panels surrounding the pools, arranged by where individuals were on the day of the attacks.

(For a more detailed version, you can always click on this link and read :) https://www.history.com/topics/21st-century/9-11-attacks)