Every September 11, people come together to mark one of the saddest days in our nation’s history. On that day in 2001, terrorists took over jets filled with passengers. (Terrorists are people who use violence to spread fear or gain power.) Their goal was to crash the planes into important buildings in the U.S. They flew two planes into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. A third plane hit the Pentagon, the U.S. military headquarters in Arlington, Virginia.
Nearly 3,000 people died as a result of the attacks. That includes more than 400 firefighters and other first responders.
That day, now known as 9/11, has special meaning for the students at Dr. Bryan C. Jack Elementary School in Tyler, Texas. Their school is named after someone who died on 9/11.