September 11, 2001, is a day in history that people will never forget. On this day 23 years ago, a terrorist attack demolished the World Trade Center and killed thousands of people.
Nineteen men from an Islamist terrorist extremist group called al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial airplanes. Two of the planes intentionally crashed into the Twin Towers. The third plane crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. Passengers on the fourth plane. Flight 93, understood what was happening and managed to retake control of the aircraft. They crashed it into an empty field in western Pennsylvania, about 20 minutes from Washington D.C. It is believed that the plane’s original target was the White House or the Capitol. On this tragic day, 2,977 people were killed.
In New York, 2,753 people lost their lives; 184 were killed at the Pentagon, and 40 were on Flight 93. When the planes hit the World Trade Center, many people were able to evacuate. First responders tried to save everyone they could. Many brave men and women stepped up on 9/11, saving lives and even sacrificing their own. Eventually, the Twin Towers collapsed. On May 30, 2002, the last piece of The World Trade Center was ceremonially removed.
On the 10th anniversary of 9/11, the 9/11 Memorial was opened. It consists of two enormous pools that lie where the Twin Towers used to be. The largest man-made waterfall in North America rushes into the pools at the memorial. Around the pools are names, engraved in bronze, of everyone who was killed in the events of 9/11.
The day of 9/11 comes around each year, and people across America mourn and honor what happened that day. The Memorial averages around 9,000 visitors each day. We must never forget the events of 9/11 and we must honor our fallen Americans.
