Thousands are killed after terrorists crashed hijacked airliners into the World Trade Centre in New York and the Pentagon in Washington

Updated: 30 Sep 2019

On 11 September 2001 thousands were killed after terrorists crashed hijacked airliners into the World Trade Centre in New York and the Pentagon in Washington. Four planes were hijacked in total, two were flown into the World Trade Centre, one into the Pentagon and the fourth crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. Trading on Wall Street stopped and the Federal Aviation Administration halted all flight operations at the nation's airports for the first time in U.S. history. In the immediate aftermath of the attacks, the Bush administration declared a 'war on terrorism', with the stated goals of bringing Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda to justice and preventing the emergence of other terrorist networks. The affects were felt world wide. Numerous countries, including the United Kingdom, India, Australia, France, Germany, Indonesia, China, Canada, Russia, Pakistan, Jordan, Mauritius, Uganda and Zimbabwe introduced "anti-terrorism" legislation and froze the bank accounts of businesses and individuals they suspected of having al-Qaeda ties. In South Africa, flights to the USA were suspended, security measures at airports tightened, and the economy was adversely affected.

How we know this

01Archives of Global Change in the 21st Century, September 11, 2001-The Day the World Changed [online], Available at www.september11news.com [Accessed: 10 September 2013]

Last updated · 30 Sep 2019

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2011, March 16). Thousands are killed after terrorists crashed hijacked airliners into the World Trade Centre in New York and the Pentagon in Washington. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0013507

South African History Online (2011) 'Thousands are killed after terrorists crashed hijacked airliners into the World Trade Centre in New York and the Pentagon in Washington', South African History Online, 16 March. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0013507 (Accessed: 24 October 2026).

South African History Online, Thousands are killed after terrorists crashed hijacked airliners into the World Trade Centre in New York and the Pentagon in Washington [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0013507, (accessed 24 October 2026).

"Thousands are killed after terrorists crashed hijacked airliners into the World Trade Centre in New York and the Pentagon in Washington." South African History Online, 16 Mar. 2011, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0013507. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

South African History Online. "Thousands are killed after terrorists crashed hijacked airliners into the World Trade Centre in New York and the Pentagon in Washington." South African History Online. March 16, 2011. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0013507.