On 11 September 2001, the World Changed

Two planes hijacked by al Qaeda terrorists hit New York City’s Twin Towers, while a third hit the Pentagon and another crashed in rural Pennsylvania. (Photo: Dulles Airport).

9/11 claimed nearly 3,000 lives and triggered America’s War on Terror, changing the Middle East forever.

Twenty-five years later, as the US pauses to remember those lost in the attacks, this is how the day of the atrocity unfolded: (Photo: Atta).

6 am

Lead hijacker flies to Boston

Ringleader Mohamed Atta – and another of the terrorists – fly to Logan International Airport in Boston to be in place to board another aircraft shortly after.

Mohamed Atta (R) and Abdulaziz al Omari (C) pass through airport security at Portland International Jetport in Maine on 9/11

Atta, a 33-year-old Egyptian national, had travelled in June 2000 from Europe to the US, where he and the other hijack team leaders began pilot training. At various points in 2001, he met some of the other hijackers after they arrived in the US. (Photo: Atta).

6.30 am

Bush emerges after overnight Florida stay

US President George W Bush goes for a jog around the Florida resort where he and his staff had stayed the night ahead of a school visit that day.

7.05-7.40 am

Second hijack team checks in

The second hijacking team arrive at Newark International Airport in New Jersey and begins to check in for United Airlines Flight 93 before starting to board. (Photo: Terrorist Marwan).

7.15 am

The third hijack team arrives at the airport

The third team arrive at Washington Dulles Airport in Virginia – just outside the American capital – and begins checking in for American Airlines Flight 77, boarding about 30 minutes later.

7.25 am

Fourth hijack team boards flight

The fourth team boards Flight 175 at Boston’s Logan Airport. (Photo: Newark Airport).

7.35 am

Ringleader boards flight

Atta and his hijacking team board American Airlines Flight 11 at Logan.

7.59 am

Flight 11 departs

Flight 11 – a Boeing 767 with 81 passengers and 11 crew on board – departs 14 minutes late from Logan, bound for Los Angeles. On board are Atta and fellow hijackers Abdulaziz al Omari, Waleed al Shehri, Wail al Shehri, and Satam al Suqami. (Photo: Dulles Airport).

8.14 am

Flight 175 departs

Flight 175 – a Boeing 767 with 56 passengers and nine crew on board – takes off 14 minutes late from Logan, also bound for LA. Among the passengers are the hijack team leader Marwan al Shehhi, originally from the United Arab Emirates, and his team members Fayez Banihammad, Hamza al Ghamdi, Ahmed al Ghamdi and Mohand al Shehri.

Courtesy: Sky News