September 11, 2001 Research & Archives

The Pentagon says five warships and two aircraft carriers will leave the U.S. Naval Station in Norfolk, Virginia, to protect the East Coast from further attack and to reduce the number of ships in port. The two carriers, the USS George Washington and the USS John F. Kennedy, are headed for the New York coast. The other ships headed to sea are frigates and guided missile destroyers capable of shooting down aircraft.

A state of emergency is declared by the city of Washington.

President Bush, speaking from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, says that all appropriate security measures are being taken, including putting the U.S. military on high alert worldwide. He asks for prayers for those killed or wounded in the attacks and says, "Make no mistake, the United States will hunt down and punish those responsible for these cowardly acts."

The FAA says 50 flights are in U.S. airspace, but none are reporting any problems.

The Immigration and Naturalization Service says U.S. borders with Canada and Mexico are on the highest state of alert, but no decision has been made about closing borders.

San Francisco International Airport is evacuated and shut down. The airport was the destination of United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania.

Los Angeles International Airport, the destination of three of the crashed airplanes, is evacuated.

United Airlines confirms that Flight 175, from Boston to Los Angeles, has crashed  into the south tower of the World Trade Center and explodes with 56 passengers and nine crew members aboard.

United Airlines reports that United Flight 93, en route from Newark, New Jersey, to San Francisco, California, has crashed in Pennsylvania. The airline also says that it is "deeply concerned" about United Flight 175.

American Airlines reports it has lost two aircraft. American Flight 11, a Boeing 767 flying from Boston to Los Angeles, had 81 passengers and 11 crew aboard. Flight 77, a Boeing 757 en route from Washington's Dulles International Airport to Los Angeles, had 58 passengers and six crew members aboard. Flight 11 slammed into the north tower of the World Trade Center. Flight 77 hit the Pentagon.

CNN reports that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is preparing emergency-response teams in a precautionary move.

Mayor Rudolph Giuliani calls for New Yorker's to stay home and for the evacuation of Lower Manhattan south of Canal Street, including more than 1 million residents, workers and tourists, as efforts continue throughout the afternoon to search for survivors at the WTC site.

New York Gov. George Pataki says all state government offices are closed.

Israel evacuates all diplomatic missions

New York's primary elections, scheduled for Tuesday, are postponed.