Timeline of tragic events that occurred on Sept 11, 2001

Sept. 11, 2001, was a dark day in American history that will forever be remembered.

The terrorist attacks took the lives of nearly 3,000 people. Commercial plane passengers, civilians on the ground and first responders all lost their lives that day in a horrendous act that is remembered with great despair each year. 

The events that unfolded on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, will be forever remembered. 

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A timeline of the events was put forth by the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. Below are the moments that went on throughout the tragic day. 

1. 5:45 a.m. Terrorists pass through security screening in Portland, Maine
2. 6 a.m. Polling stations open in New York City
3. 7:59 a.m. American Airlines Flight 11 takes off from Boston
4. 8:15 a.m. United Airlines Flight 175 takes off from Boston
5. 8:19 a.m. American Airlines ground personnel notified of hijacking by a flight attendant on Flight 11
6. 8:20 a.m. American Airlines Flight 77 takes off from Washington Dulles International Airport
7. 8:24 a.m. Flight 11 transmits message by hijacker
8. 8:30 a.m. Employees flood into work at the World Trade Center in New York City
9. 8:37 a.m. Boston air traffic control alerts military
10. 8:42 a.m. United Airlines Flight 93 takes off from Newark, New Jersey, after delay
11. 8:46 a.m. The north tower is hit, first responders head to the scene
12. 8:50 a.m. President George W. Bush is alerted of north tower hit
13. 8:55 a.m. The south tower is declared secure
14. 8:59 a.m. A decision is made by PAPD Sgt. Al DeVona to evacuate both towers
15. 9 a.m. Phone calls are made from those trapped on Flight 175
16. 9:02 a.m. Evacuation commences in south tower
17. 9:03 a.m. South tower is hit, more emergency personnel arrive
18. 9:05 a.m. The president is informed south tower hit, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani goes to NYPD command post
19. 9:12 a.m. Those on the ground are alerted of Flight 77 hijacking through phone calls made from plane
20. 9:30 a.m. The Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management is evacuated
21. 9:36 a.m. Vice President Dick Cheney evacuates to Presidential Emergency Operations Center
22. 9:37 a.m. Third plane crashes into Pentagon
23. 9:42 a.m. FAA grounds all flights
24. 9:45 a.m. Evacuations begin at the White House and the U.S. Capitol
25. 9:58 a.m. 911 call is placed by Edward Felt from Flight 93
26. 9:59 a.m. The south tower collapses, continuity of government procedures implemented
27. 10:03 a.m. Flight 93 crashes in field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania
28. 10:15 a.m. Pentagon E Ring collapses
29. 10:28 a.m. North tower collapses
30. 11:02 a.m. Mayor orders evacuation of Lower Manhattan
31. 12:16 p.m. Last flight in the United States lands
32. 12:30 p.m. Group of 14 survivors are found in north tower ruins
33. Early afternoon: Rescue efforts continue at Ground Zero
34. 3 p.m. Survivor rescued at World Trade Center site
35. 5:20 p.m. 7 World Trade Center collapses
36. 8:30 p.m. President addresses the nation
37. 10:30 p.m. Rescue workers find trapped PAPD workers

1. 5:45 a.m. Terrorists pass through security screening in Portland, Maine

The hijackers passed through security screening in Portland, Maine at 5:45 a.m.

There were 19 terrorists who passed through; they would later be split among four planes. 

Prior to 9/11, airports were not required to videotape security checkpoints and knives with less than a 4-inch blade were allowed on flights.

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2. 6 a.m. Polling stations open in New York City

Sept. 11, 2001, was a primary election day in the city. 

The polls opened up at 6 a.m. that morning, just slightly after the terrorists passed through security screening in Portland, Maine. 

The primary elections being held that day were for mayor, public advocate, comptroller and other city offices. 

3. 7:59 a.m. American Airlines Flight 11 takes off from Boston

The first of the four hijacked flights to take off was American Airlines Flight 11. 

This flight took off from Boston Logan International Airport in Massachusetts. 

There were 11 crew members and 76 passengers on board this plane with five hijackers.

4. 8:15 a.m. United Airlines Flight 175 takes off from Boston

The second flight to take off was United Airlines Flight 175.

This flight also took off from Boston, Massachusetts. 

There were nine crew members, 51 passengers and five hijackers on the plane.

5. 8:19 a.m. American Airlines ground personnel notified of hijacking by a flight attendant on Flight 11 

Betty Ann Ong was a flight attendant on American Airlines Flight 11. She alerted American Airlines ground personnel of the hijacking by using an in-flight phone.

She made the call after a passenger was stabbed in first class. Ong’s call lasted about 25 minutes. 

Shortly after she was on the phone with ground personnel, the hijackers turned off the plane’s transponder, severing air traffic control’s ability to monitor the plane’s flight path.

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Shortly after, at 8:32 a.m., flight attendant Madeline Amy Sweeney called her friend, who was a manager at Boston Logan International Airport, and provided information about the hijacking, including a description of what the hijackers looked like.

6. 8:20 a.m. American Airlines Flight 77 takes off from Washington Dulles International Airport

American Airlines Flight 77 took off at 8:20 a.m.

This plane left from Washington Dulles International Airport. 

There were six crew members, 53 passengers and five hijackers on the aircraft. 

7. 8:24 a.m. Flight 11 transmits message by hijacker

At this time, a message was transmitted that was only meant to go to those on board the plane, but the message was broadcast to air traffic control instead. 

The hijacker made another unintended transmission minutes later. 

At least one of the two unintended transmissions was noticed by the pilot of Flight 175 and was reported to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

8. 8:30 a.m. Employees flood into work at the World Trade Center in New York City

A large volume of workers started their day at the World Trade Center in New York City at 8:30 a.m.

Conferences began and events for later in the day were prepared.

One of the conferences of the day was the Risk Waters Group financial technology conference on the 106th floor of the north tower. At this time, 80 people had gotten together for the conference. 

9. 8:37 a.m. Boston air traffic control alerts military

Boston’s air traffic control center contacted the military at 8:37 a.m. 

This came after hearing the transmission from the hijacker on Flight 11. 

The U.S. Air Force’s Northeast Air Defense Sector (NEADS) prepared Air National Guard Jets to identify and follow the hijacked flight in response. 

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10. 8:42 a.m. United Airlines Flight 93 takes off from Newark, New Jersey, after delay

The last of the four hijacked planes to leave the airport was United Airlines Flight 93, which took off from Newark, New Jersey. 

This particular flight experienced a delay because of regular traffic. The flight was originally supposed to take off at the same time as the others.

United Airlines Flight 93 had seven crew members, 33 passengers and four hijackers aboard.

11. 8:46 a.m. The north tower is hit, first responders head to the scene

American Airlines Flight 11 slammed into the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. 

This was the first place to be hit by the terrorists. 

The 93rd to 99th floors were hit by the plane. Those on the plane and hundreds in the building were killed on impact.

Police, paramedics and firefighters were immediately sent to the scene. 

12. 8:50 a.m. President George W. Bush is alerted of north tower hit

After the north tower was hit, President George W. Bush was alerted. 

He was told that a small plane hit the tower. 

At the time, he was visiting an elementary school in Sarasota, Florida.

13. 8:55 a.m. The south tower is declared secure

The World Trade Center’s south tower was declared secure at 8:55 a.m. 

“Your attention, please, ladies and gentlemen. Building Two is secure. There is no need to evacuate Building Two. If you are in the midst of an evacuation, you may use the reentry doors and the elevators to return to your office. Repeat, Building Two is secure,” the announcement over the south tower’s public address system said. 

Shortly after this announcement, an evacuation began.

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14. 8:59 a.m. A decision is made by PAPD Sgt. Al DeVona to evacuate both towers

PAPD Sgt. Al DeVona issued an order to evacuate both of the towers at 8:59 a.m.

This call came just a few minutes after the tower was declared secure. 

The decision to evacuate was made a few short moments before the plane crashed into the south tower.

15. 9 a.m. Phone calls are made from those trapped on Flight 175

By about 9 a.m., people on board Flight 175 began making calls to family members. 

A flight attendant on the plane also managed to get in contact with the United Airlines operator in San Francisco to report the hijacking. 

That call came at 8:52 a.m. 

16. 9:02 a.m. Evacuation commences in south tower

At 9:02 a.m., people started to evacuate the south tower. 

“May I have your attention, please. Repeating this message. The situation occurred in Building One. If the conditions warrant on your floor, you may wish to start an orderly evacuation,” the announcement said. 

Just about a minute later, the tower was hit. 

17. 9:03 a.m. South tower is hit, more emergency personnel arrive

The south tower was hit by United Airlines Flight 175 at 9:03 a.m. 

The plane crashed into floors 77 through 85. 

The number of people who were killed on impact is unknown. 

Many found themselves trapped inside. 

18. 9:05 a.m. The president is informed south tower hit, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani goes to NYPD command post

President Bush was alerted of the second plane strike. 

He left the elementary school in Florida at 9:35 a.m. and boarded Air Force One. 

The plane departed at 9:54 a.m.

At the same time, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani went to the NYPD command post.

19. 9:12 a.m. Those on the ground are alerted of Flight 77 hijacking through phone calls made from plane

Calls began to come through from those trapped on Flight 77. 

Flight attendant Renee A. May called her mother, Nancy May, and told her about the hijackers. 

After the call with her daughter, Nancy made a call to American Airlines.

Barbara K. Olson called her husband, U.S. Solicitor General Theodore Olson, who alerted federal officials.

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20. 9:30 a.m. The Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management is evacuated

Another evacuation started on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001.

The Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management was evacuated at 9:30 a.m. 

The headquarters were located at 7 World Trade Center. 

21. 9:36 a.m. Vice President Dick Cheney evacuates to Presidential Emergency Operations Center

Evacuations continued during the morning of 9/11. 

Vice President Dick Cheney was moved to the Presidential Emergency Operations Center at 9:36 a.m. 

The Presidential Emergency Operations Center is located beneath the White House.

The bunker serves as a secure location for the president and others in case of an emergency situation. 

22. 9:37 a.m. Third plane crashes into Pentagon

At 9:37 a.m., a third hijacked plane hit the terrorists’ target. 

This was American Airlines Fight 77. 

The plane crashed into the Pentagon and killed 125 on the ground: 53 passengers on the plane and six crew members. 

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23. 9:42 a.m. FAA grounds all flights

After the third plane crashed, the FAA grounded all flights in the United States. 

This stopped all air travel in the country for the time being.

24. 9:45 a.m. Evacuations begin at the White House and the U.S. Capitol

At 9:45 a.m., following the three plane crashes, more government buildings started to be evacuated. 

The White House was evacuated at this time. 

The U.S. Capitol also began evacuations at 9:45 a.m. 

25. 9:58 a.m. 911 call is placed by Edward Felt from Flight 93

Around this time, phone calls were made from Flight 93. A total of 37 calls were made from this flight. 

One was a 911 call that was placed by passenger Edward Felt. 

He made the call from the bathroom of the plane. 

26. 9:59 a.m. The south tower collapses, continuity of government procedures implemented

The south tower, which burned for 56 minutes after the initial crash, collapsed in just 10 seconds.

More than 800 civilians and first responders lost their lives. 

Also at this time, continuity of government was requested by the White House, according to the 9/11 Commission Report. 

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The continuity of government program “represents the President’s intent that the United States have in place a comprehensive and effective program to ensure survival of our constitutional form of government and continuity of essential federal functions under all circumstances,” according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s website. 

27. 10:03 a.m. Flight 93 crashes in field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania

Flight 93, which was initially heading for the U.S. Capitol, plunged into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

This occurred after passengers and crew made the decision to fight the hijackers.

The passengers and crew on the plane had learned about the prior attacks on the Twin Towers and Pentagon through phone calls. 

28. 10:15 a.m. Pentagon E Ring collapses

The Pentagon’s E ring collapsed at 10:15 a.m. 

The collapse of the outer ring came shortly before the fall of the north tower in New York City. 

The north tower would collapse a little more than 10 minutes later. 

29. 10:28 a.m. North tower collapses

The north tower collapsed at 10:28 a.m.

The tower burned for 102 minutes before it came down. 

There were more than 1,600 killed. 

30. 11:02 a.m. Mayor orders evacuation of Lower Manhattan

After the collapse of both towers, Giuliani ordered the evacuation of Lower Manhattan.

“I would like to take this opportunity to tell everyone to remain calm and, to the extent that they can, evacuate Lower Manhattan,” he said. 

At this point, Giuliani sought shelter in a nearby office building.

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31. 12:16 p.m. Last flight in the United States lands

In the early afternoon, the last flight in the United States landed. 

This followed the FAA shutting down all U.S. flights. 

This marked U.S. airspace officially closing. 

32. 12:30 p.m. Group of 14 survivors are found in north tower ruins

At 12:30 p.m., a group of 14 survivors was found in the north tower wreckage. 

Thirteen of the people were first responders, with one civilian. 

They were found in stairwell B of the north tower.

33. Early afternoon: Rescue efforts continue at Ground Zero

Through the early afternoon, rescue efforts continued in the ruins.

This area became known as “Ground Zero.” 

At 3 p.m. a survivor was found. 

34. 3 p.m. Survivor rescued at World Trade Center site

The survivor found at 3 p.m. was Pasquale Buzzelli, who worked for the Port Authority. 

He was found in the north tower wreckage.

He was about 15 feet above the ground when he was found.

35. 5:20 p.m. 7 World Trade Center collapses

Later in the day, at 5:20 p.m., 7 World Trade Center collapsed. 

There were no causalities in the collapse. 

At this point, the building had already been evacuated.

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36. 8:30 p.m. President addresses the nation

On the night of 9/11, the president addressed the nation after the day’s tragic events.

“The search is underway for those who are behind these evil acts. I’ve directed the full resources of our intelligence and law enforcement communities to find those responsible and to bring them to justice,” President Bush said in his address. 

“We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them,” he continued. 

37. 10:30 p.m. Rescue workers find trapped PAPD workers

Later in the night, at 10:30 p.m., two more people were rescued: PAPD Officer William Jimeno and PAPD Sgt. John McLoughin. 

It took three hours to free Jimeno and eight to free McLoughin.

There was one more person rescued, Genelle Guzman, on Sept. 12.