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TIMELINE: Remembering September 11, 2001 — 21 years later

On Sept. 11, 2001, 19 terrorists hijacked four commercial airplanes shortly after their departures from airports in Boston, Newark and the Washington, D.C. area.

Reagan Roy, 9/11 Memorial & Museum, George W. Bush Presidential Library

AP Photo

Published: 3:03 PM EDT September 8, 2020
Updated: 2:46 PM EDT September 11, 2022

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following information was provided by the 9/11 Memorial & Museum and the George W. Bush Presidential Library.

Wednesday marks the 23rd anniversary of the terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

That morning, 19 terrorists hijacked four California-bound commercial airplanes shortly after their departures from airports in Boston, Newark and the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.

The planes were flown into the iconic World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon and a field in western Pennsylvania. Nearly 3,000 innocent lives were lost that day, but the impacts continue to be felt. 

According to a 2021 report from the Department of Justice and the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF), the U.S. government now believes more people have died due to 9/11-related illnesses than those who died during the initial attacks.

"It is also sobering to see that more people are now believed to have died of 9/11-related illnesses than were lost on September 11, 2001," the report said.

The VCF has issued awards to more than 40,000 individuals totaling more than $8.95 billion. The statistics also show the fairly significant increase in recent years in the percentage of claims filed by the survivor population, and the unfortunate reality is 48% of claimants have a cancer as one of their eligible conditions.

"As I reflect on the 20 years that have passed since September 11th, 2001, we at the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program mourn for those lost in the attacks and affirm our commitment to those living with 9/11-related health conditions," Dr. John Howard, Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and Administrator for the World Trade Center Health Program, said in the report. "Since the passing of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, the WTC Health Program has collaborated with the VCF to create consistency and efficiency between the two programs, strengthening not only the VCF and WTC Health Program but also the experience the 9/11-exposed population has with both. Together, the programs stood up secure data sharing and medical review processes to minimize the administrative burden on the responders and survivors we serve, increase the integrity of the programs, and inform decision-making. It has been an honor to serve the 9/11 responders and survivors and to do it alongside Special Master Bhattacharyya and her VCF team. I look forward to continuing to serve the 9/11-exposed population and maintain this invaluable collaboration with the VCF as we move into the next post-9/11 decade."

Whether you were watching the tragic events unfold on TV, were too young to understand at the time or weren't even born yet, that fateful day changed the course of our daily lives forever.  

The following timeline of the day's events can be found below courtesy of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum:

SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 - A TIMELINE

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