September 11, 2001 Research & Archives

Police confirm the plane crash in Pennsylvania.

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell cuts short his trip to Latin America to return to the United States.

All federal office buildings in Washington are evacuated.

The World Trade Center's north tower collapses 102 minutes after being struck, from the top down as if it were being peeled apart, releasing a tremendous cloud of debris and smoke. The Marriott Hotel, located at the base of the two towers, is also destroyed.

The FAA reports that all inbound transatlantic aircraft flying into the United States are being diverted to Canada.

In Washington, the State and Justice departments are evacuated, along with the World Bank.

The United Nations building evacuates, including 4,700 people from the headquarters building and 7,000 total from UNICEF and U.N. development programs.

United Airlines Flight 93, also hijacked, crashes in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh. Later reports alleged that passengers had learned about the World Trade Center and Pentagon crashes and were resisting the hijackers. The 9/11 Commission believed that Flight 93's target was either the United States Capitol building or the White House in Washington, D.C.

A portion of the Pentagon collapses.

Secret Service agents armed with automatic rifles are deployed into Lafayette Park across from the White House.

The south tower of the World Trade Center collapses 56 minutes after the impact. Debris was plummeting into the streets below. A massive cloud of dust and debris forms and slowly drifts away from the building.

President Bush departs from Florida.

Amid escalating rumors of other attacks, the White House and U.S. Capitol building are evacuated (along with numerous other high-profile buildings, landmarks and public spaces).

American Airlines Flight 77 crashes into the western facade of the Pentagon in Washington, D.C, 59 aboard the plane and 125 military and civilian personnel inside the building. Sending up a huge plume of smoke. Evacuation begins immediately.

For the first time in history, the FAA grounds all flights over or bound for the continental United States. Some 3,300 commercial flights and 1,200 private planes are guided to airports in Canada and the United States over the next two-and-a-half hours.