On September 11, 2001, civilian airplanes were turned into weapons in the deadliest terrorist attack ever carried out on American soil.

Nineteen Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four passenger aircraft:

• The first plane struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York.
• The second plane hit the South Tower, causing both buildings to collapse in less than two hours.
• The third plane crashed into the Pentagon in Virginia.
• The fourth aircraft, Flight 93, never reached its target. Passengers fought back against the hijackers, forcing the plane to crash in a field in Pennsylvania.

Nearly 3,000 people were killed, including citizens from more than 90 countries. In the aftermath, the United States launched the invasion of Afghanistan, beginning the Global War on Terror. The pursuit of Al-Qaeda’s leader, Osama bin Laden, lasted nearly a decade before he was killed in 2011.

As the world reflects on this day 24 years later, 9/11 remains a defining moment that reshaped international security, foreign policy, and the fight against global terrorism.