The Terrorist Attacks of September 11th
The bright blue sky on September 11, 2001, gave no indication that America was about to be the target of the bloodiest foreign attack ever on American territory. The first hijacked commercial aeroplane slammed into the World Trade Center's North Tower in New York City at 8:46 a.m. A second jet smashed into the South Tower, causing a tremendous explosion, while TV cameras focused on the plume of black smoke pouring from the wounded North Tower. The Pentagon was then attacked, followed by the heroic downing of hijacked Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
The 9/11 attacks killed a total of 2,974 people, which President George W. Bush described as "evil, vile acts of terror" and "acts of mass murder." Nearly 4,000 firefighters and first responders have died from malignancies and other 9/11-related medical issues in the decades afterward.