Timeline of the September 11 Attacks

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images, Videos & Interactives

Thick black smoke billows from the upper floors of both World Trade Center towers in New York City, with trees and a street in the foreground, on September 11, 2001.

Thematic map of the northeastern United States showing the flight paths of the four hijacked planes during the September 11, 2001 attacks. Color-coded arrows trace the routes of American Airlines flights 11 and 77, and United Airlines flights 175 and 93, with destinations in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Major cities and state boundaries are labeled for context.

A uniformed arm rests a hand on a service cap beside a small American flag. Large text reads: remembering 9/11.

United Airlines flight 175

The Pentagon building in Washington, D.C. with a section collapsed and engulfed in flames and thick smoke following the September 11, 2001 attack.

George W. Bush on Air Force One after the September 11 attacks

September 11 attacks

September 11 attacks: United Airlines flight 93, Pennsylvania

September 11 attacks: World Trade Center

President George W. Bush sits at a desk in the Oval Office, speaking to the American public on the evening of September 11, 2001, with hands raised, a printed speech in front of him and an American flag in the background.

Timeline of the September 11 Attacks: References & Edit History

Article Contributors

Primary Contributors

Amy Tikkanen
Amy Tikkanen is Managing Editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Other Encyclopedia Britannica Contributors

Michael Ray

Article History

Type	Description	Contributor	Date
	Article restructured.	Michael Ray	Sep 01, 2026
	Added cross-references.	Amy Tikkanen	Aug 22, 2025