The September 11 attacks were a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks by the Islamic extremist terror group Al Qaeda against the United States on the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001.
The 9/11 attacks killed 2,977 people and injured thousands at the World Trade Center in N.Y., the Pentagon in Washington D.C., and in Somerset County, Penn. 2,753 people were killed at the site of the World Trade Center alone.
Below are five of the news broadcasts announcing the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001
At 8:49 a.m. on Sept. 11, 2001, CNN got the first report of a plane hitting one of the World Trade Center towers. At the time, CNN did not know the true impact of the World Trade Center tower being hit until later on, when the second tower is hit.
On the morning of the attack, CBS News broadcaster Bryant Gumbel reported on the explosions at the World Trade Center towers and talks to eyewitnesses after the first plane crashed into the towers. As Gumbel spoke to an eyewitness, the live camera on the scene captured footage of a second crashed into the second tower, making it clear for many viewers that the plane crashes were no accident.
In another broadcast, Gumbel spoke with CBS broadcaster Dan Rather, when reports broke of a third airliner crashing into the Pentagon. By the time the third attack hit the Pentagon, both journalists were discussing reports that the two plane crashes were the result of a coordinated terrorist attack.
Another video kept by the National Archives shows President George W. Bush’s first speech following the attacks. In his remarks, Bush promised to find ‘those folks’ responsible for the attacks.
Another broadcast from the U.K.’s Sky News demonstrated the global impact of the 9/11 attacks as the news spread to countries around the world. In the video, Sky News presenter Kay Burley delivered the news of a plane crashing into the World Trade Center.
