The World Trade Center’s landmark twin towers are seen here. The towers, which opened in 1973, were the targets of two terrorist attacks, the latter of which occured on September 11, 2001, when two planes flew into them, causing them to collapse.
Luiz C. Ribeiro/New York Post
2 of 32
Chief of Staff Andy Card whispers into the ear of President George W. Bush, giving him word of the plane crashes at the World Trade Center, during a visit to the Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota, Fla.
Doug Mills/AP Photo
3 of 32
Plumes of smoke rise from the World Trade Center buildings in New York on the morning of September 11. The famous New York City skyline was forever altered that morning when the towers collapsed as a result of the horrific attack.
Patrick Sison/AP Photo
4 of 32
Smoke pours from the 110 story World Trade Center after 2 hijacked commercial planes crashed into the twin towers, causing both to collapse during the following hour.
Thomas Hinton/ZUMAPRESS.com
5 of 32
United Airlines Flight 175 approaches the south tower of the World Trade Center in New York moments before collision, seen from Brooklyn, New York.
William Kratzke/AP Photo
6 of 32
With smoke billowing from the north tower in the background, United Airlines Flight 175 approaches the south tower of the World Trade Center shortly before colliding with the massive skyscraper.
Carmen Taylor/AP Photo
7 of 32
United Airlines Flight 175 crashes into the south tower of the World Trade Center as smoke from AA Flight 11’s earlier collision billows from the north tower.
Chao Soi Cheong/AP Photo
8 of 32
Stunned New Yorkers watch as the single-biggest terrorist attack on American soil takes place. Nearly 3,000 lives were lost in the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.
Luiz C. Ribeiro/New York Post
9 of 32
The impact site of American Airlines Flight 11 is seen in the north tower of the World Trade Center. The damaged sustained in the attacks was simply too much for the building’s structure to handle, as it collapsed shortly after being struck by the aircraft.
Amy Sancetta/AP Photo
10 of 32
Many sights from that fateful day were captured by photographers, many of them being graphic in nature. In this photo a person is seen plummeting from the Twin Towers after two planes struck the buildings.
Richard Drew/AP Photo
11 of 32
Shocked pedestrians on the waterfront in Brooklyn, New York, look across the East River to the burning World Trade Center towers. The massive clouds of smoke would dominate the New York City sky during the days following the attacks.
AFP/Getty Images
12 of 32
Residents of Astoria, Queens watched as the towers were struck and the destruction of that day took place.
ZUMAPRESS.com
13 of 32
A ground view of the World Trade Center shows just how devastating the attacks were on the buildings. As the towers collapsed, the surrounding areas were flooded with debris, smoke and frightened New Yorkers.
ZUMAPRESS.com
14 of 32
A black-and-white photography shows smoke billowing from the twin towers at the World Trade Center.
Gulnara Samoilova/AP Photo
15 of 32
The south tower, which was struck on floors 77-85, collapsed at 9:59 am EST on September 11, 2001. The Tower, which stood tall for 28 years, only took 10 seconds to collapse.
Jim Collins/AP Photo
16 of 32
Horrified New Yorkers in front of New York’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral react as they look down Fifth Avenue towards the World Trade Center.
Marty Lederhandler/AP Photo
17 of 32
The South Tower sustained too much damage after United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into it. The tower fell a mere 56 minutes after being struck by the hijacked plane.
Bolivar Arellano/New York Post
18 of 32
Massive pieces of steel and debris crash to the ground as the South Tower collapses.
Richard Drew/AP Photo
19 of 32
The south tower of the World Trade Center is seen as it collapses after the terrorist attacks.
AMY SANCETTA/AP Photo
20 of 32
It was not long after the collapse of the South Tower that the North Tower suffered the same fate. The North Tower, which was hit on floors 93-99, collapsed at 10:28 a.m. EST, 102 minutes after being struck by American Airlines Flight 11.
Jodi Jones/ZUMAPRESS.com
21 of 32
Frightened New Yorkers flee the streets as a massive cloud of smoke fills the area surrounding the World Trade Center.
Suzanne Plunkett/AP Photo
22 of 32
New Yorkers pulled together as they tried to survive the aftermath of the attacks. Julie McDermott (C), is helped by others as they make their way through the debris near the World Trade Center.
Gulnara Samoilova/AP Photo
23 of 32
Pedestrians flee the dust-filled area surrounding the World Trade Center following the devastating attacks on September 11, 2001.
Amy Sancetta/AP Photo
24 of 32
With the city essentially on lockdown, thousands of New Yorkers flee from lower Manhattan following the attacks on September 11, 2001.
Daniel Shanken/AP Photo
25 of 32
A haunting view of the debris is seen from the skeleton of the World Trade Center. Over the days and weeks following the attacks, emergency personnel would scour the pile of rubble left, searching for survivors, and eventually, remains.
Emanuel Dumont/ZUMAPRESS.com
26 of 32
Firefighters and civilians carries a injuried firefighter to safety just after the collapse of the North Tower.
New York Post
27 of 32
At 9:59 a.m., the south tower collapsed after burning for approximately 56 minutes due to fire, which caused steel structural elements, already weakened from the plane impact, to fail. The north tower collapsed at 10:28 a.m., after burning for approximately 102 minutes.
Luiz C. Ribeiro/New York Post
28 of 32
At 5:20 p.m. on September 11, 2001, 7 World Trade Center started to collapse with the crumble of the east penthouse, eventually falling completely at 5:21 p.m.due to uncontrolled fires causing structural failure.
Luiz C. Ribeiro/New York Post
29 of 32
Once a bustling center of business, rubble and ash from the towers’ collapse fill the deserted lower Manhattan streets after the attacks.
Boudicon One/AP Photo
30 of 32
Firemen stand amidst the rubble which is all that remained of the Twin Towers and WTC Tower 7.
Thomas Hinton/ZUMAPRESS.com
31 of 32
With the skeleton of the World Trade Center twin towers in the background, New York City firefighters work amid debris on Cortlandt St.
Mark Lennihan/AP Photo
32 of 32
The Statue of Liberty stands amidst the smoke-filled and altered New York City skyline as the sun set on one of the deadliest days in American history.
Dan Loh/AP Photo
