Name:
Date:
TERROR FROM THE SKY
On September
1,2001,terrorists hijacked
four airplanes on the East Coast of the
United States.The terrorists planned to
crash the planes into targets in New York
City and Washington, D.C.
1
The first two planes took off from Boston.
They were on their way to Los Angeles
when they were hijacked.The terrorists
flew the planes to New York City.The first
plane crashed into the World Trade Center
north tower. Less than 20 minutes later,
the second plane crashed into the World
Trade Center south tower.The heat from the airplanes'fuel melted the steel supports
of the buildings. Both buildings collapsed. More than 2,700 people died at the World
Trade Center, and thousands more were injured.
The third plane took offfrom Washington Dulles lnternational Airport nearWashington,
D.C.Terrorists crashed it into the Pentagon, where 189 people died, including the
passengers on the airplane and the plane's crew.
The last hijacked plane took off from Newark, New Jersey. Some of the plane's
passengers received calls on their cell phones about the attacks.They realized
what was happening. Several passengers tried to take control of the airplane from
the hijackers.They succeeded, and the plane crashed in a field near Shanksville,
Pennsylvania. Everyone onboard was killed, but because of the brave acts of the
passengers, the plane did not reach its target in Washington, D.C.
A national emergency was declared, and all U.5. planes were requested to land as quickly
as possible.The United States immediately identified the main suspect of the attacks as
Osama bin Laden. He was the leader of a terrorist group called al-Qaeda that had been
linked to other terrorist attacks on Americans. Bin Laden was opposed to Western
influence on the Middle East. He said he was happy about the September 1 1 attacks.
President George W. Bush said fighting terrorism and preventing future attacks on
the United States would be his top priority.The first thing he did was send soldiers to
Afghanistan to take down the Taliban government, which supported al-Qaeda.
After the terrorist attacks on September 1 1, many things had to change. Security at
airports and borders was strengthened to prevgnt future attacks. President Bush
created a new White House office,the Office of Homeland Security.This office became
a Cabinet department in 2003.|t is in charge of protecting the United States against
futu re terrorist attacks.
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2
175
Date:
Name:
TERROR FROM THE SKY
Time Line - Terrorist Attacks in the United States
tJse the time line to answer the
following questions.Write the answers in complete sentences.
. New York City: A bomb that was planted in a horse-drawn
wagon explodes on Wall Street.The bomb kills 35 people and
injures hundreds more.The crime is never solved.
. New York City: A bomb explodes in Fraunces Tavern.The
bomb kills 4 people and injures more than 50. A Puerto Rican
nationalist group claims responsibility.
. New York City: A bomb explodes in the basement of the World
Trade Center.The bomb kills 6 people and injures over 1,000.
lslamic militant Ramzi Yousef is later convicted of this crime.
lslamic al-Qaeda terrorist group is suspected to be involved.
. Oklahoma City:A car bomb explodes outside the Oklahoma
City federal building.The bomb kills 168 people and injures
hundreds more.Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols are later
convicted of this crime.
. New York City; Arlington,Virginia; and Shanksville, Pennsylvania:
Hijackers crash planes into the World Trade Center, the
Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania. More than 3,000 people
are killed, and many more are injured.The lslamic al-Qaeda
terrorist group is blamed.
1. What happened on February
26,19937
2.
How many times have terrorists attacked New York City?
3.
Where did the attack on April 19,1995,take place?
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U.S. HISTORY SHORTS 2 I78
Name:
Date:
TERROR FROM THE SKY
Crossword Puzzle
Write the best answer in each blank, and complete the crossword puzzle.
1.
v,
(n
o
&
()
More than 2,700 people died at
the
and thousands
more were injured.
4. Terrorists crashed the third plane into the
6. Osama bin Laden said he was happy about the September
11
7.-plannedtocrashplanesintotargetsinNewYorkCityandWashington,D.C.
8.
The fourth plane crashed in
a
instead of into its intended target.
1.BinLadenwasopposedto-influenceontheMiddleEast.
z
2. President Bush sent soldiers to _to
o
=
o
3.
take down theTaliban government.
supported Osdma bin Laden and al-Qaeda.
The
5.Aftertheterroristattacks,-wasstrengthenedatairportsandborders'
6.
Osama bin Laden was the leader of a terrorist group called
-
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U.S. HISTORY SHORTS 2
1-17