This year, on September 11, we commemorate 23 years since the devastating terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon—an event that remains etched in the memory of many Americans, according to a YSL News/Suffolk University survey.

On that fateful morning, United Airlines Flight 175 and American Airlines Flight 11 took off from Boston heading toward California before hijackers diverted them into the North and South towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. Meanwhile, American Airlines Flight 77 struck the Pentagon, while passengers on United Airlines Flight 93 bravely attempted to retake control from the hijackers, resulting in the plane crashing in a field in Pennsylvania.

The Fatality Count of 9/11

The attacks on September 11 resulted in a tragic total of 2,977 fatalities in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania, as reported by the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. This figure includes 2,753 individuals who lost their lives in New York City, 184 at the Pentagon, and 40 who perished when Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania.

The youngest casualty was a 2-year-old girl named Christine Hanson, who was traveling to Disneyland on United Airlines Flight 175. The oldest victim was Robert Norton, an 82-year-old passenger on American Airlines Flight 11.

The 19 hijackers affiliated with the extremist group al-Qaeda also lost their lives during the attacks.

A memorial for the victims has been established at the site of the former World Trade Center towers. Their names are inscribed around reflecting pools, arranged by their locations at the time of the attacks, ensuring that “almost every name is surrounded by people they cared about,” as stated by the 9/11 Ground Zero Tour. Each morning, staff members place white roses on specific names indicating the victims’ birthdays.

Firefighters’ Death Toll on 9/11

On that day, 343 firefighters lost their lives, a staggering figure representing nearly half of all on-duty fatalities in the New York City Fire Department’s century-long history.

In 2019, reports indicated that the 200th New York City firefighter had passed away due to illnesses related to their time at Ground Zero, such as toxic exposures, injuries, and the physical and emotional toll of the event. By 2022, this number had risen to nearly 300, according to the FDNY.

Nearly 80,000 people have been diagnosed with various physical and mental health conditions linked to the dust, smoke, debris, and trauma associated with the attacks, as per the World Trade Center Health Program.

Identifying the Unaccounted Victims of 9/11

Approximately 40% of the victims remain unidentified, according to the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME). This equates to around 1,103 individuals. Recently, the OCME identified its 1,650th victim through advanced DNA techniques—John Ballantine Niven, a 44-year-old senior vice president from Aon Risk Services in Oyster Bay, New York.

The task of identifying World Trade Center victims stands as the “largest and most complex forensic investigation in United States history,” according to the OCME.