Today marks the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in the United States.
Once the tallest buildings in the world, the 110-storey World Trade Center towers in lower Manhattan, New York City, were destroyed on 11 September 2001 in a terrorist attack.
The attack shocked the world, causing stock markets to nosedive and leading to the US invasion of Afghanistan. It also led many to question the future safety and viability of skyscrapers.
In the morning of 2001, a Boeing plane crashed into one tower of the World Trade Center in New York City, USA, while another crashed into another tower 18 minutes after the same suicide attack. An hour later, a plane crashed at the Pentagon, causing partial damage to the Pentagon.
Read more: US Congress to set up 9/11-style commission to investigate Capitol attack
Globally, the incident was entitled 9/11, which killed about 2,977 people, after which Muslims around the world, including the United States, came under suspicion. The US government launched the war on terror after 9/11.
When the World Trade Center was attacked in 2001, the United States blamed al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden, and the United States withdrew its troops from Afghanistan after the alleged elimination of al-Qaeda and the assassination of Osama bin Laden.
Known as the Twin Towers, the distinctive skyscrapers designed by American architect Minoru Yamasaki formed part of the Manhattan skyline since they were completed in 1973. At 1,368 and 1,362 feet (417 and 415 metres) tall, the towers overtook the Empire State Building to become the world’s tallest buildings when they opened.
