One hijacked plane struck the Pentagon on 9/11, killing 125 people inside

Experience 9/11, the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil, as it happened.

See intact objects found in the wreckage of Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania after its 40 passengers and crew stormed the cockpit, stopping the hijackers from reaching their likely target, the US Capitol Building.

Flight 93 passengers fought back and prevented a fourth target

United Airlines Flight 93 was hijacked en route to Washington, DC. Passengers learned of the other attacks and stormed the cockpit. The plane crashed in Pennsylvania, likely preventing a strike on the US Capitol.

One Day in America series reveals the full timeline and human toll of 9/11

This National Geographic episode reconstructs the events of 9/11—highlighting the Pentagon attack, Flight 93 hijacking, South Tower collapse, and rescue efforts—offering a detailed, chronological account of how the day unfolded.

9/11 permanently changed air travel security in the US with the creation of the Transportation Security Administration.

President Bush addressed the nation on 9/11 from the Oval Office, watched by an estimated 80 million people.

AP Photos: 20 images documenting the enormity of 9/11

The Associated Press shares 20 photographers’ frames from Sept. 11, 2001, when hijackers crashed commercial planes into New York’s World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field.

9/11 reshaped US foreign and military policy for decades, shifting focus to non-state actors and the Middle East.

Americans showed an unprecedented surge of patriotism after 9/11

In the weeks following 9/11, 79% of US adults reported displaying the American flag, and a year later, 62% said they "often felt patriotic" due to the attacks.

9/11 was the first global disaster watched in real time across the world

As the first plane struck at 8:46 a.m. ET, CNN's live feed broadcast images worldwide within minutes. An estimated 2 billion people watched the collapse of the Twin Towers live.

View artifacts at the Smithsonian that tell the story of 9/11.

al-Qaida targeted multiple US interests in attacks before 9/11

Before 9/11, al-Qaeda carried out several deadly attacks on US targets—including the 1998 embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania and the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole—killing hundreds of people.

President George W. Bush learned of the 9/11 attacks while visiting a classroom.

US intelligence warned in multiple reports of al-Qaida's plans to strike before 9/11.

Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor caused heavy losses but failed to cripple the US navy

Japan’s air assault sank or damaged 18 warships (including eight battleships) and destroyed 188 aircraft, killing 2,403 Americans, yet all three Pacific Fleet aircraft carriers were absent and survived, and vital infrastructure like oil depots and repair yards remained intact—preserving core US naval power and enabling a rapid recovery. Watch original reporting here.

A single bomb on the USS Arizona killed 1,177 crew members in seconds

When a Japanese armor-piercing bomb triggered the explosion of the USS Arizona’s forward magazine during the attack, the blast killed 1,177 crew members within moments—accounting for nearly half of all American deaths at Pearl Harbor.

In 2012, scientists purposely crashed a Boeing 727 to identify where the safest place to sit is on a plane in order to survive a belly-flop-style impact.

What 9/11 did to one family: the heartbreaking story of Bobby McIlvaine

Grief, conspiracy theories, and a family's search for meaning in the two decades since the attacks. On Sept. 11, 2001, Bobby McIlvaine was killed, along with nearly 3,000 other Americans. In the years since, his parents and brother have searched for...

343 members of the Fire Department of New York died on 9/11 trying to rescue people from the World Trade Center.

Pan Am was once the largest international airline in the US—but it shut down in 1991 after a series of financial issues, beginning with increased operating costs and reduced demand driven by the oil crisis in the 1970s.

The 9/11 plane crashes, which resulted in the collapse of the Twin Towers, created toxic dust that included materials including asbestos, silica, metals, concrete, and glass.

How NATO responded to 9/11

The collective defense clause of the NATO constitution has only been invoked one time: after the 9/11 terrorist attacks against the United States. This video explores the immediate actions NATO took to respond to the attacks to support the United States. These firsthand clips from 2001 give a sense of the magnitude of the moment and the difficult decisions facing NATO leaders at the time.

An in-depth account of the image of 'The Falling Man' whose final seconds capture the visceral horrors of 9/11

Do you remember the photograph above? In the US, people have taken pains to banish it from the record of Sept. 11, 2001. Here's a detailed account of the story behind it, the search for the man pictured in it, and its impact on those who lived through the tragic day.

How a panel blew off a Boeing plane in mid-air

As Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 climbed just over 16,000 feet into the sky, a refrigerator-sized panel was ripped from its side, forcing it to land. Few of the 171 passengers were injured. This infographic explains how the panel tore from the body of the Boeing 737 MAX 9 plane, which had only been in service for eight weeks.

Osama bin Laden declared jihad—a call for armed struggle framed as a religious duty—against the US in 1996.

Spikes in pizza orders near US government buildings are thought to be signs of international crises

Theorists have long believed that sudden increases in pizza deliveries near the Pentagon signal a major event is about to occur. Historical examples include the CIA ordering 21 pizzas the day before the beginning of the Gulf War, and another surge of deliveries before former President Bill Clinton's impeachment hearings. Citizens have since begun monitoring food orders in the area. See a tracker of Pentagon pizza orders here.

The toxic dust from 9/11 sites still claims lives decades later

In the years after 9/11, nearly 17,000 first responders enrolled in health programs have reported cancers and respiratory diseases linked to Ground Zero exposure. More have died from related illnesses than were killed on the day itself.

9/11 first responders still deal with significant mental and physical impairments.

A firsthand account from the AP photographer who captured 'The Falling Man'

On 9/11, AP photographer Richard Drew made one of the most indelible — and harrowing — images of the 21st century. Here's his account of the photo he captured.

A poignant account of what happened on Flight 93

Todd Beamer was a religious family man. Mark Bingham was gay, a PR executive and a keen sportsman. The story of Flight 93 shows how these two very different men became heroes of America.

The US launched the Global War on Terror after 9/11

In the wake of 9/11, the US declared a Global War on Terror—initiating military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, expanding surveillance, and forming international coalitions to combat terrorism and disrupt extremist networks worldwide.

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, US radio stations created a list of 150 banned songs they feared would be insensitive.

The PATRIOT Act expanded government surveillance after 9/11

Signed into law weeks after the attacks, the PATRIOT Act granted federal agencies sweeping powers to monitor communications, access records, and conduct surveillance—sparking ongoing debates over privacy, civil liberties, and national security.

There is a secretive bomb-proof bunker located under the White House

Built in 1942 during World War II, the Presidential Emergency Operations Center lies beneath the East Wing. Designed to protect the president during air raids—and later nuclear threats—it remains a top-secret command site used during crises like 9/11.

The attacks prompted a quick jump in American public support for war

In a Gallup poll taken days after the attack, an extraordinary 97% of Americans approved Congress declaring war on Japan—reflecting overwhelming national unity in the wake of the strike.

Go behind the scenes of Air Force One

ABC News takes viewers inside Air Force One, revealing how the president's plane operates as a secure command center in the sky. Explore the logistics and coordination that go into every presidential flight.

The perplexing Battle of Los Angeles in 1942 generated swaths of UFO conspiracies

On Feb. 24-25, 1942, weeks after the Pearl Harbor attack, a US military radar warned of enemy aircraft. A citywide blackout went into effect, powerful searchlights were lit up, and US forces fired artillery at what they believed to be the enemy. However, no confirmed enemy planes were ever identified. Eyewitnesses reported seeing large objects flying overhead, and much of the public speculated about UFOs and extraterrestrial attacks.

The 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force has been used by five administrations to justify military operations in at least 22 countries.

See a visualization of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

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After the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York City’s Financial District in 2001, many banks decided to relocate

Much has been said about why today’s top banks are typically no longer headquartered on Wall Street itself. The terrorist attacks in New York City’s Financial District on Sept. 11, 2001, are one reason many banks decided to relocate.

The White House's modern East Wing—demolished in 2025—was built above a secure underground bunker

Completed in 1942, the East Wing provided offices and a public entrance but primarily disguised the construction of the Presidential Emergency Operations Center beneath it—a secure command bunker built during World War II after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

US intelligence failures contributed to the success of the Japanese attack

Despite breaking Japan’s diplomatic codes, US agencies failed to integrate warnings, successfully track Japan’s carriers, or even believe a Hawaii strike was possible (they also had not cracked Japan’s naval codes). Missed signals, ignored reports and poor coordination led to one of the worst intelligence failures in US history.

A NYC church near ground zero became a 24/7 relief center for more than eight months without closing after the attacks, providing meals, beds, and other support to relief workers.

Welcome to Gander, a tiny town of around 10,000 people in Newfoundland, which took in nearly 7,000 passengers for days after the 9/11 attacks grounded all air travel in the US.

The Pearl Harbor attack led to the mass internment of Japanese Americans

In the months after Pearl Harbor, the US forcibly removed and incarcerated about 120,000 Japanese Americans—two-thirds of them citizens. Driven by fear and racism, the policy is now recognized as a grave violation of civil rights.

Explore personal 9/11 oral histories from survivors, first responders, and families

The 9/11 Memorial Museum's archive includes over 3,500 firsthand interviews—spanning survivors, first responders, family members, and residents—offering rare, deeply personal perspectives on the tragedy and its aftermath.

Explore a visual history of Air Force One.

Conspiracy theories come from distrust in government, media, and institutions

Some believe JFK's assassination was orchestrated by larger networks rather than a lone shooter. Skeptics wondered how one unknown man could kill the most powerful person in America, and believed the CIA, FBI, or Soviet government played a role in the murder.

Nearly five years after MH370 vanished, this deeply reported piece argues Malaysian officials have long known more about the flight's fate than they've said.

The White House was burned by British forces during the War of 1812

On August 24, 1814, British troops invaded Washington, DC, and set fire to the President's House, destroying its interior and roof. However, the exterior sandstone walls survived. After the war, reconstruction began under the original architect.