It began like an ordinary Tuesday morning in the United States. People were heading to work, planes were taking off, and New York’s financial district was busy with its usual rush.
Then, at 8:46 am, everything changed.
American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Centre. Seventeen minutes later, another plane struck the South Tower. Millions watched in disbelief as the attacks unfolded live on television.
By the end of the morning, nearly 3,000 people were dead. The September 11, 2001 attacks became one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in modern history.
What Happened On The Morning Of 9/11?
Nineteen Al-Qaeda hijackers seized control of four commercial passenger planes as part of a coordinated terrorist operation. Two planes were flown into the Twin Towers in New York City. A third plane hit the Pentagon, the headquarters of the US Department of Defence, near Washington DC.
The fourth plane, United Airlines Flight 93, crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. Passengers and crew members had fought the hijackers and tried to regain control of the aircraft.
The 9/11 attacks unfolded within less than two hours. At 8:46 am, American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Centre. At 9:03 am, United Airlines Flight 175 struck the South Tower.
At 9:37 am, American Airlines Flight 77 hit the Pentagon near Washington DC. The South Tower collapsed at 9:59 am. Four minutes later, at 10:03 am, United Airlines Flight 93 crashed into a field in Pennsylvania after passengers and crew members attempted to take back control of the plane. At 10:28 am, the North Tower collapsed, bringing the deadly morning to another devastating turning point. According to the 9/11 Commission’s chronology, both Twin Towers collapsed less than 90 minutes after the first plane hit.
Who Carried Out The 9/11 Attacks?
The attacks were carried out by 19 Al-Qaeda hijackers. The plot was developed by the extremist group under Osama bin Laden, who was then based in Afghanistan. The roots of Al-Qaeda’s rise went back to the Soviet-Afghan war. During the 1980s, volunteers from several countries travelled to Afghanistan to fight Soviet forces. Bin Laden was among them.
After the Soviet withdrawal, Bin Laden and others helped build Al-Qaeda as an organisation focused on jihadist operations in different parts of the world.
The 9/11 attack also followed years of escalating violence against US interests. Al-Qaeda was linked to the 1998 US embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania, which killed 224 people. In 2000, the USS Cole was attacked in Yemen, killing 17 American sailors.
In 1998, Bin Laden and other extremists had also issued a declaration calling for attacks against Americans worldwide.
How Did 9/11 Change America?
The attacks exposed serious failures in the US intelligence and security system. The 9/11 Commission found that government agencies had failed to share important information effectively. It also highlighted problems in coordination between intelligence, law enforcement and national security agencies.
The attacks led to major changes in US counterterrorism policy. Intelligence sharing was strengthened. Homeland security coordination was expanded. Airport security and measures against terrorism were also transformed.
The impact, however, went far beyond the United States. The attacks reshaped global security policy, US foreign policy and international counterterrorism efforts for decades.
Remembering The Victims Of 9/11
2,977 people died in 9/11. Out of them, 441 were first responders – the greatest number of emergency responders lost on a single day in the history of America. World leaders kept remembering those who died on that day even twenty-five years later.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and many others expressed solidarity with the victims and their relatives.
Moreover, the US President, Donald Trump, posthumously gave the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Welles Crowther, the 24-year-old “Man in the Red Bandana”. He helped people get out of the South Tower before he died. His medal was received by his mother, Alison, and sister Paige.
For many people, 9/11 is not only a historical event but also a symbol of life losses, people who helped, and transformations after the darkest morning of the 21st century.
Sudeep Singh Rawat is a Copy Editor at NewsX Digital with over five years of experience in digital journalism. He covers national and international news, with a focus on politics, crime, technology, public affairs, and trending topics. Before joining NewsX Digital, he worked with Business Standard, The Sunday Guardian, and other digital media organisations. His reporting focuses on breaking news, enterprise stories, and explainers that inform readers through accurate, balanced, and context-driven journalism.
