Twenty years ago, the nation watched transfixed as planes hijacked by terrorists crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania on Sept. 11, 2001. The events of that day forever transformed the country. Nearly 3,000 people died as a result of the attacks, including the 19 hijackers from Islamic extremist group, al-Qaida. It remains the deadliest foreign attack on U.S. soil. The Fire Department of New York also lost 343 firefighters dispatched to rescue survivors from the crumbling World Trade Center towers. These unforgettable images from that fateful day tell their own stories, from the smoke-filled skies to the debris covered streets. 📷: @apnews @gettyimages