{"id":3848,"date":"2025-06-09T17:09:28","date_gmt":"2025-06-09T17:09:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readmore.cx\/?p=3848"},"modified":"2025-06-09T17:09:28","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T17:09:28","slug":"3848","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readmore.cx\/?p=3848","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"ResponsiveWrapper\">\n<aside class=\"InlineElement InlineElement--below-paragraph InlineElement--content-width InlineElement--desktop InlineImage\" aria-label=\"Image\">\n<div class=\"CopyrightImage\">\n<figure class=\"Image aspect-ratio--parent InlineImage--image\">\n<div class=\"Image__Wrapper Image__Wrapper--relative\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/i.natgeofe.com\/k\/daa6c240-6eff-4f34-9437-3f57f0dc5a09\/World-Trade-Centers_911_Reference_KIDS_0821.jpg?wp=1&amp;w=1436&amp;h=1000\" alt=\"Smoke pours from the twin towers of the World Trade Center after they were hit by two hijacked airliners in a terrorist attack September 11, 2001 in New York\" data-mptype=\"image\" \/><\/div><figcaption>\n<div class=\"Caption__Wrapper\">\n<div class=\"Caption\">\n<div class=\"Caption__TextWrapper\">\n<div class=\"Caption__Text\" aria-live=\"polite\"><span class=\"Truncate Truncate--collapsed\"><span class=\"RichText\">Smoke pours from the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City after they were hit by two hijacked airliners on September 11, 2001.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"RichText Caption__Credit\" aria-label=\"Photograph by Robert Giroux \/ Getty Images\">Photograph by Robert Giroux \/ Getty Images<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"Image__Copyright\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>American Airlines Flight 11 hit the north tower at 8:46 a.m. The impact of the crash tore a hole that stretched from the 93rd to 99th floors of the building. Smoke and flames poured out of the tower. Many people thought they had just seen a terrible accident. But 17 minutes later, a second plane flew into another one of the World Trade Center buildings\u2014this time into the south tower.<\/p>\n<p>United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the 77th through 85th floors of the south tower at 9:03 a.m. Some cell phone and TV station cameras caught the second attack on film. The footage was played over and over again on television. Soon people knew that hijackers\u2014individuals who capture an aircraft, ship, or vehicle by force\u2014had taken over the planes. A group of men had taken control of the cockpit of each airplane and flown them into the buildings on purpose.<\/p>\n<h2>The attack continues<\/h2>\n<p>The\u00a0United States\u00a0was under attack. About half an hour after the second tower was struck in New York City, hijackers crashed a third airplane. American Airlines Flight 77 hit the west side of the Pentagon, a five-sided concrete building that serves as headquarters for the U.S. Department of Defense, in Arlington,\u00a0Virginia, just outside\u00a0Washington, D.C.\u00a0The plane\u2019s fuel tanks exploded, and two giant fireballs blasted into the air.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ResponsiveWrapper\">\n<aside class=\"InlineElement InlineElement--below-paragraph InlineElement--content-width InlineElement--desktop InlineImage\" aria-label=\"Image\">\n<div class=\"CopyrightImage\">\n<figure class=\"Image aspect-ratio--parent InlineImage--image\">\n<div class=\"RatioFrame aspect-ratio--auto\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"Image__Wrapper Image__Wrapper--relative\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/i.natgeofe.com\/k\/97445ccc-d64a-4167-bdc5-b7c737202adc\/Pentagon_911_KIDS_0821.jpg?wp=1&amp;w=1436&amp;h=958\" alt=\"Smoke pours from the southwest corner of the Pentagon after a hijacked commercial airliner crashed into the building, Sept. 11, 2001.\" data-mptype=\"image\" \/><\/div><figcaption>\n<div class=\"Caption__Wrapper\">\n<div class=\"Caption\">\n<div class=\"Caption__TextWrapper\">\n<div class=\"Caption__Text\" aria-live=\"polite\"><span class=\"Truncate Truncate--collapsed\"><span class=\"RichText\">The hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the southwest corner of the Pentagon, causing explosions and fires.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"RichText Caption__Credit\" aria-label=\"Photograph by Navy Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Mark D. Faram\">Photograph by Navy Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Mark D. Faram<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"Image__Copyright\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<p>The U.S. government ordered all airplanes flying over the country to land as soon as possible. But it was too late for United Airlines Flight 93. Hijackers had already taken control of this fourth aircraft. They were flying the plane toward Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n<p>Passengers and crew members on the plane called loved ones, who told them about the other attacks in New York and Virginia. People on Flight 93 thought their aircraft would be used as a weapon, too. So they fought the hijackers to try to get control of the plane. In a phone call recorded as passengers and crew began to fight back, passenger Todd Beamer was heard saying, \u201cAre you ready? OK, let\u2019s roll.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Flight 93 eventually crashed into a field near Shanksville,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/kids.nationalgeographic.com\/geography\/states\/article\/pennsylvania\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pennsylvania<\/a>. The crash site was close to the hijackers\u2019 likely target, a government building in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n<h2>The rescue begins<\/h2>\n<div class=\"ResponsiveWrapper\">\n<aside class=\"InlineElement InlineElement--content-width InlineElement--desktop InlineImage\" aria-label=\"Image\">\n<div class=\"CopyrightImage\">\n<figure class=\"Image aspect-ratio--parent InlineImage--image\">\n<div class=\"RatioFrame aspect-ratio--auto\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"Image__Wrapper Image__Wrapper--relative\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/i.natgeofe.com\/k\/ccc6a46b-bde0-4c32-9dae-c75d2ae050f9\/First-Responders_911_KIDS_0821.jpg?wp=1&amp;w=1436&amp;h=954\" alt=\"Firefighters walk towards one of the tower at the World Trade Center before it collapsed after a plane hit the building September 11, 2001 in New York City\" data-mptype=\"image\" \/><\/div><figcaption>\n<div class=\"Caption__Wrapper\">\n<div class=\"Caption\">\n<div class=\"Caption__TextWrapper\">\n<div class=\"Caption__Text\" aria-live=\"polite\"><span class=\"Truncate Truncate--collapsed\"><span class=\"RichText\">On September 11, thousands of first responders risked their lives to save others. Here, firefighters rush to the scene at the World Trade Center.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"RichText Caption__Credit\" aria-label=\"Photograph by Jose Jimenez \/ Primera Hora \/ Getty Images\">Photograph by Jose Jimenez \/ Primera Hora \/ Getty Images<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"Image__Copyright\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<p>Back in New York City, dark smoke poured from the twin towers. People rushed to escape the area, which later became known as ground zero. First responders\u2014including police officers, firefighters, and paramedics\u2014arrived within minutes of the first attack on the World Trade Center. They rushed into both towers to help people trapped inside, even though it would be an extremely difficult rescue operation. Almost all the elevators in the twin towers had stopped working. So rescuers started climbing up the stairs, but many were blocked by rubble or fire. Still, firefighters forged ahead, ignoring the danger. (<a href=\"https:\/\/kids.nationalgeographic.com\/history\/article\/heroes-of-911\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Read more about the heroes of 9\/11<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<h2>The towers fall<\/h2>\n<p>When the airplanes hit the twin towers, they caused massive damage. Concrete floors were destroyed. Steel support beams were cut in two. Floors above the crash sites started to sag downward. Meanwhile, the sprinklers in both buildings were damaged. There was nothing to stop the raging fires, which became hot enough to weaken steel. The buildings grew unstable. Then they collapsed.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ResponsiveWrapper\">\n<aside class=\"InlineElement InlineElement--below-paragraph InlineElement--content-width InlineElement--desktop InlineImage\" aria-label=\"Image\">\n<div class=\"CopyrightImage\">\n<figure class=\"Image aspect-ratio--parent InlineImage--image\">\n<div class=\"RatioFrame aspect-ratio--auto\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"Image__Wrapper Image__Wrapper--relative\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/i.natgeofe.com\/k\/0d86119f-42f8-4426-9b19-a75c44626f01\/Flag_911_KIDS_0821.jpg?wp=1&amp;w=1436&amp;h=2116\" alt=\"American flag firemen raised above the ruins at Ground Zero.\" data-mptype=\"image\" \/><\/div><figcaption>\n<div class=\"Caption__Wrapper\">\n<div class=\"Caption\">\n<div class=\"Caption__TextWrapper\">\n<div class=\"Caption__Text\" aria-live=\"polite\"><span class=\"Truncate Truncate--collapsed\"><span class=\"RichText\">Firefighters raise a U.S. flag in front of rubble at ground zero on September 11, 2001.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"RichText Caption__Credit\" aria-label=\"Photograph by 2001 The Record (Bergen Co. NJ) \/ Getty Images\">Photograph by 2001 The Record (Bergen Co. NJ) \/ Getty Images<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"Image__Copyright\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<p>The south tower fell first. Once it began to crumble, it took only 10 seconds for it to collapse. The impact caused the north tower to shake, and it, too, crumbled to the ground 29 minutes later.<\/p>\n<p>First responders helped many people before the twin towers collapsed. More than 25,000 made it out of the buildings before they fell. But nearly 3,000 people\u2014from the twin towers, the Pentagon, and the four airplanes\u2014died in the attacks that day.<\/p>\n<h2>The official response<\/h2>\n<p>The events of September 11, 2001, shook the nation. The U.S. government had to respond.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/kids.nationalgeographic.com\/history\/article\/george-w-bush\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">President George W. Bush<\/a>\u00a0led the country in a day of prayer and remembrance. Then he led the nation\u2019s effort to find and punish the people who had caused the attacks.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"ResponsiveWrapper\">\n<aside class=\"InlineElement InlineElement--below-paragraph InlineElement--content-width InlineElement--desktop InlineImage\" aria-label=\"Image\">\n<div class=\"CopyrightImage\">\n<figure class=\"Image aspect-ratio--parent InlineImage--image\">\n<div class=\"Image__Wrapper Image__Wrapper--relative\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/i.natgeofe.com\/k\/ea888e99-6f1b-4e3f-aa93-4fdba21152f2\/President_911_KIDS_0821.jpg?wp=1&amp;w=1436&amp;h=810\" alt=\"Bush Ground Zero, NEW YORK, USA - 13 Sep 2001. George Bush, Bob Beckwith As rescue efforts continue in the rubble of the World Trade Center in New York, President Bush stands with firefighter Bob Beckwith on a burnt fire truck\" data-mptype=\"image\" \/><\/div><figcaption>\n<div class=\"Caption__Wrapper\">\n<div class=\"Caption\">\n<div class=\"Caption__TextWrapper\">\n<div class=\"Caption__Text\" aria-live=\"polite\"><span class=\"Truncate Truncate--collapsed\"><span class=\"RichText\">President George W. Bush visits ground zero in New York on September 14, 2001.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"RichText Caption__Credit\" aria-label=\"Photograph by Doug Mills \/ AP \/ Shutterstock\">Photograph by Doug Mills \/ AP \/ Shutterstock<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"Image__Copyright\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<p>A terrorist group based in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/kids.nationalgeographic.com\/geography\/countries\/article\/afghanistan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Afghanistan<\/a>\u00a0(a country in the Middle East) called al Qaeda claimed responsibility for the 9\/11 attacks. Their leader was Osama bin Laden. Al Qaeda and bin Laden considered the United States to be their enemy, which is why the hijackers used the airplanes to attack important U.S. buildings. In total, 19 hijackers took over the four planes that crashed on 9\/11.<\/p>\n<p>World leaders promised to help the United States punish al Qaeda and locate their leader. In October 2001, the United States and its allies started military actions in Afghanistan, searching for members of al Qaeda who worked with bin Laden to plan and carry out the 9\/11 attacks. It would take nearly 10 years for these forces to locate and kill bin Laden himself, who was eventually discovered hiding in nearby Pakistan in May 2011.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n<p id=\"pvc_stats_3848\" class=\"pvc_stats total_only  \" data-element-id=\"3848\" style=\"\"><i class=\"pvc-stats-icon medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-prefix=\"far\" data-icon=\"chart-bar\" role=\"img\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" class=\"svg-inline--fa fa-chart-bar fa-w-16 fa-2x\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M396.8 352h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V108.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v230.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zm-192 0h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V140.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v198.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zm96 0h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V204.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v134.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zM496 400H48V80c0-8.84-7.16-16-16-16H16C7.16 64 0 71.16 0 80v336c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h464c8.84 0 16-7.16 16-16v-16c0-8.84-7.16-16-16-16zm-387.2-48h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8v-70.4c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v70.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8z\" class=\"\"><\/path><\/svg><\/i> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"Loading\" src=\"https:\/\/readmore.cx\/wp-content\/plugins\/page-views-count\/ajax-loader-2x.gif\" border=0 \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Smoke pours from the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City after they were hit by two hijacked airliners on September 11, 2001. Photograph by Robert Giroux \/ Getty Images American Airlines Flight 11 hit the north tower at 8:46 a.m. The impact of the crash tore a hole that stretched&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"more-link-wrap\"><a href=\"https:\/\/readmore.cx\/?p=3848\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &ldquo;&rdquo;<\/span> &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n<p id=\"pvc_stats_3848\" class=\"pvc_stats total_only  \" data-element-id=\"3848\" style=\"\"><i class=\"pvc-stats-icon medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-prefix=\"far\" data-icon=\"chart-bar\" role=\"img\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" class=\"svg-inline--fa fa-chart-bar fa-w-16 fa-2x\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M396.8 352h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V108.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v230.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zm-192 0h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V140.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v198.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zm96 0h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V204.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v134.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zM496 400H48V80c0-8.84-7.16-16-16-16H16C7.16 64 0 71.16 0 80v336c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h464c8.84 0 16-7.16 16-16v-16c0-8.84-7.16-16-16-16zm-387.2-48h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8v-70.4c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v70.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8z\" class=\"\"><\/path><\/svg><\/i> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"Loading\" src=\"https:\/\/readmore.cx\/wp-content\/plugins\/page-views-count\/ajax-loader-2x.gif\" border=0 \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3848","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":22,"today_views":0},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/readmore.cx\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3848","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/readmore.cx\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/readmore.cx\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readmore.cx\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readmore.cx\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3848"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/readmore.cx\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3848\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3849,"href":"https:\/\/readmore.cx\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3848\/revisions\/3849"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/readmore.cx\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3848"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readmore.cx\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3848"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readmore.cx\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3848"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}