- The 9/11 attacks were focused on New York City and Washington D.C. Roll over the maps to find out more about the buildings and see the path of Flight 93.
New York is a center of the financial world and one of three sites affected by the terrorists attacks of September 11, 2001. Nearly 3,000 people died after two hijacked jets crashed into the World Trade Center buildings, including the heroic New York City firefighters, police officers, EMS and Port Authority workers who raced to help those trapped in the towers with little regard for their own safety. Today, clean-up and rebuilding of the World Trade Center site is still underway.
Washington, D.C. is the capital of the United States and was the second of three targets attacked by terrorists who hijacked several commercial airliners on September 11, 2001. Flight 77, carrying 59 people, crashed into the Pentagon killing everyone on board and more than 100 people on the ground. The Pentagon was largely rebuilt in just one year. A memorial to those who lost their lives will be dedicated on September 11, 2008.
At 8:42 am on September 11, 2001, United Flight 93, carrying 37 passengers and seven crew, took off from New Jersey bound for San Francisco. According to evidence pieced together by the cockpit voice recorder and cell phone calls made by passengers, a small group of passengers and crew, after hearing of the fates of the other flights that morning, decided to rush the cockpit. Soon after, the plane--just 20 minutes flying time out of Washington, D.C.--rolled onto its back and crashed into an empty field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
- Click to learn more about the maps
- New York City
- Washington, D.C.
- Shanksville, PA
9/11 Interactive Maps
Explore interactive maps of the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the path of Flight 93 to get a complete picture of the events of September 11, 2001.
Interactives (3)
-
9/11 Attacks - 102 Minutes That Changed America
9/11 Attacks - 102 Minutes That Changed AmericaInteractive
-
9/11 Interactive Maps
9/11 Interactive MapsInteractive
-
World Trade Center Reborn: Infographic
World Trade Center Reborn: InfographicInteractive
Videos (20)
-
9/11 Timeline
9/11 TimelineVideo Clip (4:54)
Video Clip (4:54)
A timeline of the events on September 11, 2001.
-
How the Towers Collapsed
How the Towers CollapsedVideo Clip (4:33)
Video Clip (4:33)
A brief explanation of why the towers collapsed on 9/11.
-
Remembering 9/11: The Elevator Motor
Remembering 9/11: The Elevator MotorVideo Clip (4:36)
Video Clip (4:36)
One man spends his life maintaining the elevators that will one day save the life of another.
-
Remembering 9/11: The Ground Zero Bible
Remembering 9/11: The Ground Zero BibleVideo Clip (3:58)
Video Clip (3:58)
A Bible found in the rubble of Ground Zero survives in the hands of a photographer.
-
Remembering 9/11: The Photo Archive
Remembering 9/11: The Photo ArchiveVideo Clip (3:38)
Video Clip (3:38)
A photographer documents the efforts of Ground Zero workers in the days after September 11th.
-
The Todd Beamer Story "Let's Roll"
The Todd Beamer Story "Let's Roll"Video Clip (5:30)
Video Clip (5:30)
The incredible story of Todd Beamer's call to GTE Operator and the heroism on Flight 93.
-
Building the Towers
Building the TowersVideo Clip (4:10)
Video Clip (4:10)
A brief history of the conception and creation of the World Trade Center.
-
Security Features
Security FeaturesVideo Clip (4:40)
Video Clip (4:40)
Architects design the new 7 World Trade Center with security features that reinforce the stability of the structure and safety of workers.
-
Birth of Al Qaeda
Birth of Al QaedaVideo Clip (3:07)
Video Clip (3:07)
The roots of modern day Al Qaeda can be traced back to the Muslim Brotherhood organization that began in Egypt. Find out how Osama Bin Laden made connections to the different leaders who helped him eventually plan and carry out the events of September 11th.
-
Collapse of the North Tower
Collapse of the North TowerVideo Clip (4:43)
Video Clip (4:43)
The fall of the North Tower - and a few of the personal stories from those who escaped those who had loved ones trapped inside.
-
Escaping the South Tower
Escaping the South TowerVideo Clip (5:24)
Video Clip (5:24)
The remarkable story of Stanley Praimnath and Brian Clark's escape from the South Tower on 9/11.
-
Remembering 9/11: Karyn's Wings
Remembering 9/11: Karyn's WingsVideo Clip (4:31)
Video Clip (4:31)
A pair of wings took flight from Arkansas to Afghanistan and carried with them the love of a mourning father.
-
Making the 9/11 Memorial: The Names
Making the 9/11 Memorial: The NamesVideo Clip (1:26)
Video Clip (1:26)
One of the most difficult issues to resolve in the design of the 9/11 Memorial was how to arrange the names of the victims, which are etched into the bronze parapets that ring the Memorial Pools.
-
Rescue and Survival
Rescue and SurvivalVideo Clip (4:21)
Video Clip (4:21)
The remarkable story of a heroic firefighter who survived the collapse of the North Tower.
-
Heroism on 9/11
Heroism on 9/11Video Clip (4:43)
Video Clip (4:43)
Lt. Col. Marilyn Wills and Ret. Sgt. Maj. Tony Rose earned purple hearts for their heroism when the Pentagon was attacked on 9/11.
-
Making the 9/11 Memorial: Survivor Tree
Making the 9/11 Memorial: Survivor TreeVideo Clip (1:53)
Video Clip (1:53)
Alice Martin, who lost her husband on September 11, 2001, gets a private tour of the memorial site and learns the story of the Survivor Tree.
-
Recovering History
Recovering HistoryVideo Clip (3:16)
Video Clip (3:16)
Immediately after the tragic events of September 11th, the nation's historians began a tremendous effort to collect as many objects and lost personal items from the day.
-
Volunteers
VolunteersVideo Clip (4:54)
Video Clip (4:54)
Over 10,000 people volunteered to aid workers during the cleanup and recovery of Ground Zero.
-
Artifacts Lost
Artifacts LostVideo Clip (4:15)
Video Clip (4:15)
The World Trade Center was home to some significant art and cultural collections. This segment from the History special, Relics of the Rubble, recalls these lost treasures.
-
Archiving the WTC
Archiving the WTCVideo Clip (2:43)
Video Clip (2:43)
A part of the World Trade Center cleanup was organizing all artifacts -- large and small -- in a place big enough to hold everything. Ultimately, the Fresh Kills landfill in Staten Island served as the staging are for this work; here is a glimpse of how that was done.
Photo Galleries (2)
-
9/11 at the World Trade Center
9/11 at the World Trade Center(18 Photos)
18 Photos
On September 11, 2001 terrorists hijacked planes and crashed them into the World Trade Center's Twin Towers. The towers collapsed and thousands of people were killed.
-
9/11 at the Pentagon and Flight 93
9/11 at the Pentagon and Flight 93(17 Photos)
17 Photos
On September 11, 2001 a hijacked plane crashed into the side of the Pentagon. Another flight, United 93, crashed into a field in Pennsylvania.
Most Popular Videos on History.com
-
D-Day Invasion
(3:07)
-
Hitler's Military Blunders
(3:27)
Newest Videos on History.com
-
Vietnam in HD Preview
(2:00)
-
Two For the Road
(1:48)
-
HISTORY says Thanks
(2:47)
Read More about 9/11 Commission
The 9/11 Commission was charged investigating the circumstances surrounding the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
GoRelated Shows
-
America The Story of Us
America The Story of Us is an epic 12-hour television event that tells the extraordinary story of how America was invented.
Shop HISTORY
-
9/11 10th Anniversary DVD Set
Exclusive. History commemorates the 10th anniversary of the attacks on New York’s World Trade Center with three new special programs.
$34.99
Buy Now -
Swamp People Troy Mask
Want the ultimate Big Head? The Swamp People Troy Mask is for Cajuns and Cajuns at heart.
$44.99
Buy Now
Email Updates
Keep up with the latest History shows, online features, special offers and more.
Sign up
