Timeline of America's Day of Terror

Tuesday, September 11, 2001

  • 08:48 EDT: American Airlines Flight 11 hits the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York.


  • 09:03 EDT: United Flight 175 crashes into its twin south tower, causing a devastating explosion.


  • 09:20 EDT: The FBI investigates reports of planes being hijacked before the World Trade Center crashes.


  • 09:20 EDT: U.S. President George Bush declares: "We have had a national tragedy. Two airplanes have crashed into the World Trade Center in an apparent terrorist attack on our country."


  • 09:29 EDT: First reports of casualties indicate that at least six people were killed, with at least 1,000 injured.


  • 09:43 EDT: Abu Dhabi television reports it received a call from the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, claiming responsibility for crashing two planes into the WTC. However, leading officials later deny the claim.


  • 09:45 EDT: American Flight 77 (Doulles-LA) hits the Pentagon in Washington. The center of the U.S. military bursts into flames and a portion of one side of the five-sided structure collapses.


  • 09:45 EDT: The White House and The Capitol are evacuated amid further threats.


  • 09:50 EDT: All airports across the U.S. shut down.


  • 10:07 EDT: The south tower of the World Trade Center tower collapses.


  • 10:20 EDT: Untied Flight 93 (Newark-SF) crashes 80 miles outside of Pittsburgh.


  • 10:25 EDT: Car bomb reported to have exploded outside the State Department in Washington.


  • 10:27 EDT: The north tower of the World Trade Center collapses.


  • 11:04 EDT: UN headquarters are evacuated.


  • 12:33 EDT: United Airlines confirms two planes have been hijacked and later crashed. There are altogether 110 persons on board.


  • 12:39 EDT: Bush makes second statement, vows to hunt down and punish those responsible.


  • 13:20 EDT: Bush leaves Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana for an undisclosed location.


  • 13:27 EDT: Washington D.C. declares a state of emergency.


  • 13:44 EDT: Two aircraft carriers enter New York Port. Five warships headed to east coast.


  • 14:48 EDT: New York's mayor Rudy Giuliani says the eventual death toll from Tuesday's attack may be "more than any of us can bear".


  • 16:25 EDT: The American Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange say they will remain closed on Wednesday.


  • 16:25 EDT: Building 7 of the World Trade Center catches fire.


  • 16:30 EDT: President Bush leaves Offutt Air Force Base aboard Air Force One to return to Washington where he will make a nationally televised address.


  • 17:20 EDT: Forty-seven story building 7 adjacent to the ruins of the World Trade Center collapses.




  • By PD Online staff member Du Minghua


    People's Daily Online --- http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/