The keyword phrase "twin towers sept 11" functions as a compound proper noun. It designates a specific historical event. "Twin Towers" is a noun referring to the two primary skyscrapers of the original World Trade Center complex in New York City. "Sept 11" is a nominalized date, specifically September 11, 2001. Combined, the phrase acts as a single nominal unit identifying the attacks that occurred at that location on that date.
On September 11, 2001, terrorists associated with the group al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial airliners. Two of these planes were deliberately crashed into the World Trade Center's North and South Towers. At 8:46 AM Eastern Daylight Time, American Airlines Flight 11 struck the North Tower (WTC 1). At 9:03 AM, United Airlines Flight 175 struck the South Tower (WTC 2). The impacts and resulting fires severely compromised the structural integrity of both steel-frame skyscrapers, leading to their complete collapse. The South Tower collapsed at 9:59 AM, and the North Tower followed at 10:28 AM. The event resulted in 2,753 deaths at the World Trade Center site, including building occupants, first responders, and passengers and crew on the two aircraft.
The destruction of the Twin Towers on September 11th was the most visually prominent and deadly component of the coordinated attacks. This event served as a catalyst for major shifts in global policy, most notably initiating the U.S.-led War on Terror. Its direct consequences include significant changes in national security protocols, the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, and new legislation impacting surveillance and aviation security worldwide. The phrase itself has become a cultural signifier, symbolizing not only the specific tragedy but also the subsequent era of heightened geopolitical conflict and security consciousness.
