Twenty-five years after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Americans paused Thursday to remember the thousands of innocent lives lost and the emergency responders who ran toward danger as others desperately tried to escape.
Nearly 3,000 people were killed when terrorists hijacked four commercial airplanes and carried out attacks in New York City, at the Pentagon and near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
In New York, two planes struck the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. A third plane crashed into the Pentagon, while passengers and crew members aboard United Airlines Flight 93 fought back against the hijackers before the aircraft crashed into a field in Somerset County.
A total of 2,977 victims were killed, not including the 19 hijackers.
The victims included:
- 343 members of the New York City Fire Department
- 23 New York City police officers
- 37 Port Authority police officers
- At least eight emergency medical personnel from private EMS agencies
- 55 military personnel at the Pentagon
- Approximately 2,511 civilians, including office workers, airline passengers, flight crews and visitors
The frequently cited total of 403 fallen firefighters and police officers represents the 343 FDNY members, 23 NYPD officers and 37 Port Authority officers killed at the World Trade Center. The broader emergency-responder count also includes EMTs and other emergency personnel.
The loss of 343 FDNY members remains the greatest single-day loss of firefighters in United States history. Many responders climbed the towers carrying heavy equipment while helping office workers descend through smoke-filled stairwells. Numerous firefighters, police officers and emergency medical personnel were still inside when the buildings collapsed.
The victims came from communities across the United States and more than 90 countries. They were parents, children, spouses, friends, coworkers, service members and public servants whose lives were taken during an ordinary Tuesday morning that would forever change the nation.
Twenty-five years later, the effects of the attacks continue. Thousands of responders, survivors and people who lived or worked near Ground Zero have developed cancers, respiratory illnesses and other conditions connected to toxic exposure following the collapse of the towers.
Memorial ceremonies were held at the World Trade Center site, the Pentagon and the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania. Across the country, communities observed moments of silence marking the times each plane struck and each tower fell.
The anniversary also serves as a reminder of the unity that followed the attacks. Americans supported grieving families, lined streets to honor emergency responders and came together during one of the darkest moments in the nation’s history.
A quarter-century has now passed, but the responsibility to remember remains.
We remember the 2,977 lives taken. We remember the responders who ran toward danger. We remember the passengers and crew members who fought back aboard Flight 93.
Twenty-five years later, America has not forgotten.
Casualty figures are based on records from the National September 11 Memorial & Museum and historical agency totals. Classification can vary slightly depending on whether private EMS personnel and other on-duty workers are included as emergency responders.
