By the numbers: Sept. 11, 2001, a day of loss

Friday, September 11, 2015 - 11:15 StudyHall.Rocks

The Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, Va. Image: StudyHall.Rocks.

By now, we have all memorized the details. They are part of our collective memory, filed under the category: 9/11.

    On Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, 8:46 a.m., an airliner carrying 10,000 gallons of jet fuel slammed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Roughly 15 minutes later, at 9:03 a.m., a second airliner hit the South Tower.
    A third airliner hit the Pentagon at 9:37 a.m. A fourth, headed for Washington, D.C., was overtaken by brave passengers and crashed in Pennsylvania at 10:03 a.m., according to The 9/11 Commission Report, The Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States.
    The attack was carried out by “19 young Arabs acting at the behest of Islamist extremists headquartered in distant Afghanistan,” the report said. Four had training as pilots. “In groups of four or five, carrying with them only small knives, box cutters, and cans of Mace or pepper spray, they had hijacked the four planes and turned them into deadly guided missiles.”
     More than 2,600 were killed at the World Trade Center alone. It could have been worse. An estimated 16,000 to 18,000 people were in the towers at the time, and most evacuated safely, according to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum website. Additionally, an estimated 50,000 people worked in the two buildings, but many were not there yet when the early-morning attack occurred.
    An additional 125 died at the Pentagon, and 256 died on the four airliners, the report said.
    In all, the attacks killed 2,977, according to the memorial website.
    But even that doesn’t cover it. Many more became sick, as rescue workers trudging through the rubble suffered illnesses in the years to follow.
    While other attacks on American soil have resulted in a higher number of casualties, Sept. 11 was specifically directed the civilian population. Here are some other heavy losses for comparison:

The Battle of Brandywine, near Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, Sept. 11, 1777: This battle involved the largest number of combatants -- 30,000 in all -- in the Revolutionary War, according to the Brandywine Battlefield Park Associates website. The number killed, wounded or taken prisoner is not precisely known. The estimates are 500-600 British casualties and 1,000-1,300 Americans.

Antietam, Maryland, Sept. 17, 1862: This is known to be the bloodiest one-day battle in America history. After 12 hours of combat, 23,000 soldiers were killed, wounded or missing, according to the National Park website.

Gettysburg, July 1-3 1863, Confederates invade the North and attack Union soldiers in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania: During three days, 51,000 Union and Confederate soldiers were wounded, killed or missing, according to the Library of Congress.

Dec. 7, 1941, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii: The dead included 2,390 sailors, Marines, soldiers and civilians, along with 64 Japanese servicemen, according to the National Park Service, World War II Valor in the Pacific Memorial.

Sources:

Brandywine Battlefield Park Associates, Pennsylvania: Battle.
Columbia University Library: The World Trade Center Attack, The Official Documents.
The 9/11 Commission Report: Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States.
National Park Service, Antietam National Battlefield, Maryland: The Bloodiest One-Day Battle in American History.
National Park Service: World War II Valor in the Pacific Memorial.
National Sept. 11 Memorial & Museum, New York: Frequently Asked Questions.
Library of Congress: Gettysburg Address.

If you would like to comment, like us on Facebook and tell us what you think.