September 11, 2001: the day that changed the world

September 11, 2001 was one of the most significant events of the early 21st century, not only because of the violence of the attacks, but above all because of the political, military, and symbolic consequences it left on the world. On the morning of that day, the United States was the target of a coordinated attack carried out by the Al-Qaeda organization. The attacks consisted of the hijacking of four commercial airplanes, two of which were deliberately diverted against the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York, causing their collapse. A third plane crashed into the Pentagon in Washington, and a fourth crashed in a field in Pennsylvania after the passengers tried to regain control of the aircraft. The world watched live the chain destruction of the towers, in a scenario of terror and unprecedented disbelief. This attack caused the death of approximately three thousand people and profoundly altered world geopolitics, leading the United States to launch the so-called "War on Terror," which included military invasions in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the implementation of drastic domestic security measures. Al-Qaeda, led by Osama bin Laden, claimed responsibility for the attacks, justifying them as retaliation for the American military presence in the Middle East. The consequences of the September 11 attacks continue to be felt today, shaping international security policies, relations between the West and the Islamic world, and the lives of millions of people directly affected.