This Day in History:, 9/11 Terrorist Attacks.
September 11, 2001.
Masterminded by Saudi national Osama bin Laden, four American airplanes were hijacked by 19 members of the terrorist group, al Qaeda.
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The terrorists flew two of the planes into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City.
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Hours later, a deeply shocked nation watched the collapse of the Twin Towers live on national television.
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A third plane was flown into the west side of the Pentagon military headquarters.
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Passengers on the fourth plane, United Flight 93, overtook the terrorists.
The plane crashed into a Shanksville, PA, field rather than its unknown target.
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Nearly 3,000 people died in the attacks, the most significant in American history.
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Nearly 10,000 people who were exposed to the debris of the fallen towers have been diagnosed with 9/11-related cancer.
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The economic toll of the attacks has approached $1 trillion.
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In response to 9/11, the Department of Homeland Security was created.
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On the ten-year anniversary of the attack, the World Trade Center memorial "Reflecting Absence" was opened to the public
