On the morning of Tuesday, September 11th, 2001, the United States was struck by what can only be called the most devastating terrorist attack in recorded history. The world trade towers and the pentagon were targeted in a coordinated assault that no one saw coming. Ordinary people across the country were going about their daily routines, completely oblivious to the fact that Al-Qaeda, a global terrorist organization, had meticulously orchestrated four simultaneous strikes.
The mastermind behind the plot is believed to have been Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, whose opposition to America's support for Israel drove him to devise the scheme. He reportedly brought the plan to Al-Qaeda's leader, Osama bin Laden, back in 1996. Bin Laden gave it the green light in 1999, motivated by his conviction that America's government held a deeply anti-Muslim stance.
During the period between 1999 and 2001, bin Laden personally selected 19 terrorists, each tasked with quietly assimilating into the fabric of American culture without raising suspicion.
When the 11th arrived, those 19 recruits boarded four domestic aircraft— American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 slammed into the North and South Tower of the World Trade Center, respectively. Meanwhile, American Airlines Flight 77 was driven into the Pentagon in Arlington, and United Airlines Flight 93 went down in a Pennsylvania field.
Together, the four crashes claimed the lives of almost 3,000 people. The World Trade Center attacks alone were responsible for over 2,600 of those deaths. Beyond the staggering death toll, more than 6,000 people sustained injuries.
Across the globe, people watched in horror as the catastrophe unfolded in real-time through television coverage and other news outlets.
Within two weeks of the attacks, the Bush administration delivered an ultimatum to Afghanistan's government: hand over bin Laden and other Al-Qaeda leaders, or face military consequences. When Afghanistan refused to comply, the United States launched an invasion of the country, marking the beginning of what became known as the "War on Terror."
Even though nearly two decades have passed since that fateful day, the events continue to permeate popular culture through films, talk shows, interviews, articles and books.