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A history of the World Trade Center

First opened in 1973, the iconic “Twin Towers” were a staple of the New York City skyline and the site of two attacks.

WTC-skyline
The iconic twin towers in New York City were part of a complex of seven buildings that made up the World Trade Center in the city(***)s Lower Manhattan area. Standing 110 stories tall, the towers were a staple of the city(***)s skyline [Al Bello/Allsport/GALLO/GETTY]
Published On 5 Sep 2011
WTC-Beingbuilt
The idea for the World Trade Center was conceived in the 1960s in a bid to revitalise the area. Designed by architect Minoru Yamasaki, construction on the project began in 1966 [Hulton Archive/GALLO/GETTY]
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WTC Gallery 1
The towers were dedicated on April 4, 1973, earning the distinction of the world(***)s tallest buildings, until Chicago(***)s Sears Tower surpassed them in 1974 [Keystone/GALLO/GETTY]
WTC-popculture
On an average workday, an estimated 50,000 people worked in the towers, with thousands more visiting. The buildings became known around the world, appearing in movies, TV shows and on merchandise [Reuters]
WTC-1993
On February 26, 1993, a truck filled with 680kg of explosives detonated in the underground garage of the North Tower, killing six people and leaving 50,000 others gasping for air in the towers [Bureau of ATF 1993 Explosives Incident Report]
WTC-1993memorial
The suspect in the attack, Ramzi Yousef, was arrested two years later in Pakistan and sent to New York for trial, where he was convicted and sentenced to 240 years in prison. Here, mourners mark the 10th anniversary of the 1993 attack with a recovered chunk of engraved granite that was part of a tribute commemorating the bombing [Stephen Chernin/GALLO/GETTY]
WTC-OnFire
On the morning of September 11, 2001, two hijacked commercial airliner jets flew into the complex in a co-ordinated attack for which al-Qaeda later claimed responsibility. After burning for nearly an hour, the South Tower collapsed, followed a half-hour later by the North Tower [Craig Allen/GALLO/GETTY]
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WTC-Firefighter
The attacks resulted in the deaths of nearly 3,000 people, including emergency workers who rushed to the scene to aid the victims [Mario Tama/GALLO/GETTY]
WTC-smoke
In addition to the destruction of the towers, the attacks resulted in the release of thousands of tonnes of toxic debris from the collapse - leading to major illnesses among rescue workers [Jose Jimenez/Primera Hora/GALLO/GETTY)]
WTC-Cleanup
The process of recovery and cleanup took nearly eight months. Firefighters and police officers sifted through debris in the search for remains and evidence at "Ground Zero" - the site of the former World Trade Center [GALLO/GETTY]
WTC-Recovery
On May 30, 2002, New York held a ceremony to officially mark the end of the cleanup effort, which had continued 24 hours a day over eight months [Mario Tama/GALLO/GETTY]
In March 2006, work began on the construction of the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, and in April, a ground-breaking ceremony for the new Freedom Tower was held. Construction continues at the Ground Zero site on the skyscraper, and in March 2011 workers were up to nearly sixty floors of the building(***)s planned 104-story height [Chris Hondros/GALLO/GETTY]
WTC-Current
Upon completion, Freedom Tower, or One World Trade Center, will be New York(***)s tallest skyscraper, with 3 million square feet of office space. The new construction has rejuvenated the formerly devastated cityscape [Mario Tama/GALLO/GETTY]