
Taylor Nelson
By Taylor Nelson, Age 14, South Park, Pennsylvania
On September 11, 2001, the U.S. was struck by the deadliest terror attack in its history. That morning, terrorists hijacked four airplanes. They flew the first two into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. The towers soon collapsed. The third jet hit the Pentagon (headquarters of the U.S. military) near Washington, D.C. The fourth plane crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The attacks killed 2,977 people.
The terrorist group was responsible for the attacks. Many of its members were in Afghanistan, so a month after the attacks, the U.S. went to war there. U.S. troops remain there today, still waging the longest-fought war in U.S. history.
The 9/11 attacks profoundly shaped the world we live in now. Americans’ sense of safety was shaken. The government swiftly created the Department of Homeland Security, tightened airport security, and enacted stricter immigration policies to protect against future acts of terrorism.
But as the events first unfolded in New York, few understood what was happening—or could have predicted their lasting impact. Janell Nelson was at work across the street from the Twin Towers when the first plane hit. Her daughter, Taylor, an eighth-grader, interviewed her about that fateful day.