– The North Tower collapses after burning for 102 minutes. Debris and dust clouds engulf Lower Manhattan.
– United Airlines Flight 175 (Boston to Los Angeles) takes off. Five hijackers are on board.
– The White House and U.S. Capitol are evacuated. The Collapses & The Passengers Who Fought Back 9:59 AM – The South Tower collapses just 56 minutes after being hit. Over 800 civilians and first responders are killed instantly.
– President George W. Bush, visiting an elementary school in Florida, is informed of the second crash. He remains seated for several minutes, reading “The Pet Goat” with students. 9 11 timeline
– AA 77 crashes into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, killing all 64 aboard and 125 military and civilian personnel inside.
– President Bush addresses the nation from the school, calling the events an “apparent terrorist attack.”
– UA 93 crashes near Shanksville, Pennsylvania , after passengers and crew—learning of the earlier attacks via phone calls—storm the cockpit. The intended target is believed to be either the White House or the U.S. Capitol. All 44 on board are killed. – The North Tower collapses after burning for 102 minutes
– United Airlines Flight 93 (Newark to San Francisco) takes off—40 minutes behind schedule due to airport congestion. Four hijackers are on board. The Attacks Begin 8:46 AM – AA 11 crashes into the North Tower (1 WTC) of the World Trade Center between floors 93 and 99. All on board are killed. Hundreds inside the tower are killed instantly; thousands are trapped above the impact zone.
On the morning of September 11, 2001, 19 terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners. They deliberately crashed two into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, one into the Pentagon in Virginia, and a fourth—whose passengers fought back—into a field in Pennsylvania. Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil.
– News cameras capture a gaping hole in the North Tower. Most initially believe it is a tragic accident. Five hijackers are on board
The 9/11 Timeline: A Minute-by-Minute Account of the Attacks That Changed the World
– Flight attendants on AA 11 alert ground personnel that the plane has been hijacked. Hijackers have sprayed mace and stabbed two people.
– For the first time in history, the FAA grounds all civilian aircraft over the continental U.S. All incoming international flights are diverted to Canada.
Below is a clear timeline of the key events (all times are Eastern Daylight Time). 7:59 AM – American Airlines Flight 11 (Boston to Los Angeles) takes off with 92 people aboard. Five hijackers are on board.