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The United States is marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks with commemorative events across the country, remembering the thousands of people who lost their lives in one of the most devastating attacks in modern American history.
On September 11, 2001, 19 hijackers seized control of four passenger aircraft travelling across the eastern United States. The planes were deliberately used to attack major landmarks in New York and Washington, while a fourth aircraft crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers attempted to overpower the hijackers.
Two of the planes struck the World Trade Center's Twin Towers in New York, with the second aircraft hitting 17 minutes after the first. The attacks triggered enormous fires and sent smoke across Manhattan before both 110 storey towers collapsed within hours.
A third aircraft struck the Pentagon, the headquarters of the United States military near Washington DC. The fourth plane crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. Investigators believe the hijackers intended to target the US Capitol.
A total of 2,977 people were killed, excluding the 19 hijackers. All 246 passengers and crew aboard the four aircraft died. Another 2,606 people died at the World Trade Center, either during the attacks or later from injuries sustained that day. At the Pentagon, 125 people were killed.
The victims ranged in age from two year old Christine Lee Hanson to 82 year old Robert Norton. Citizens from 77 countries were among those who died, demonstrating the international scale of the tragedy.
New York also lost 441 first responders, including firefighters and other emergency personnel who rushed into the burning buildings to rescue those trapped inside.
The consequences of the attacks extended far beyond September 11. Thousands of people were injured, while many others later developed serious illnesses linked to the toxic dust and smoke released when the towers collapsed. Health problems associated with the disaster have since claimed more than three times the number of lives lost on the day itself.
Twenty five years later, memorial events provide an opportunity for families, survivors and communities to honour those who died and remember the extraordinary acts of courage displayed during the crisis.
The anniversary also serves as a reminder that the impact of September 11 did not end when the towers fell. Its consequences continue to shape American society and communities around the world.
