The September 11, 2001 attacks represented the most tragic day in the history of the United States, having been carried out by members of the extremist organization Al-Qaeda. Nineteen hijackers took control of four commercial airplanes, which were used as weapons against strategic targets on American soil.
The numbers reveal the devastating scale of the attack. Approximately 3,000 people lost their lives during the attacks, including the passengers and crew of the four hijacked planes, workers from the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, as well as rescue workers who were trying to save lives.
The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York were the targets of the first two planes, causing the collapse of both structures. The third flight struck the Pentagon, headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, while the fourth plane, which was headed for the Capitol or the White House, crashed in a field in Pennsylvania after passengers attempted to regain control of the aircraft.
The attacks triggered the so-called "War on Terror," leading to the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq in the following years, as well as significant changes in American and international security policies. The memory of the victims is commemorated annually in the United States.
