what happened on september 11th, 2001?

On September 11, 2001, the United States experienced four coordinated terrorist suicide attacks carried out by the Islamist extremist group al- Qaeda. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airplanes, deliberately crashing two into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. The North Tower was struck at 8:46 a.m. and the South Tower at 9:03 a.m.; both towers collapsed within two hours. A third plane was crashed into the Pentagon near Washington, D.C., at 9:37 a.m. The fourth plane, United Airlines Flight 93, crashed into a field in Pennsylvania after passengers revolted against the hijackers, preventing it from reaching its intended target, believed to be either the U.S. Capitol or the White House. These attacks killed a total of 2,977 people, injured thousands, and caused massive destruction and long-term consequences in the U.S. and worldwide. The events triggered the U.S. to launch the global War on Terror, including the invasion of Afghanistan to dismantle al-Qaeda and remove the Taliban from power.