Twenty-five years ago, the 9/11 attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C., resulted in the deaths of nearly 3,000 people. Images from that day provide a record of the events, including the moments when hijacked passenger airliners crashed into the World Trade Center's twin towers, another struck the Pentagon, and a fourth crash-landed in a Pennsylvania field.
The North Tower of the World Trade Center was hit first by American Airlines Flight 11 at 8:46 am, impacting floors 93 to 99. Seventeen minutes later, at 9:03 am, a second plane struck the South Tower. The Pentagon was hit at 9:37 am.
In total, 2,016 people who worked in the World Trade Center buildings were killed. The collisions caused the towers to catch fire, leading to their collapse after approximately an hour of burning. Rescue operations began almost immediately, with the last survivor pulled from the rubble 27 hours after the towers fell.
According to City Hall documents, 91,000 rescue and recovery personnel were needed for the clear-up effort. A process was later established to allow these personnel to claim compensation for any health issues incurred during their work.