25 Years Later, These 9/11 Images In New York Still Stop You Cold

Twenty-five years later, some images from September 11 still feel impossible to believe. These photos capture the horror and heartbreak of that day.

Twenty-five years ago today, terrorists hijacked four U.S. jetliners and forced them to crash, killing nearly three thousand people and jarring the entire nation.

NEVER FORGET: Images from 9/11 and the days after

NEVER FORGET: Images from 9/11 and the days after

Two of the aircraft pierced each of the World Trade Center's twin towers in New York City, causing them to burn and collapse.

The nation watched in disbelief as two of the world's tallest buildings puffed black, oily smoke into the blue morning sky. Then, at 9:50 a.m. Eastern, the 110-story south tower of the World Trade Center suddenly and quickly collapsed, a victim of the steel-melting heat of the inferno fueled by thousands of gallons of burning jet fuel.

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Less than 40 minutes later, the Trade Center's north tower crumbled onto itself in a gray cloud of smoke and debris. Hundreds of firefighters were trapped and killed.

I was in high school at the time. It's a day I'll never forget. I vividly remember being in a cooking class (Spoiler: I can't really cook LOL) when a student came running into my classroom to say one of the buildings was hit by a plane.

My teacher then put on the news. She tried to teach, but most students couldn't take their eyes off the TV. Shortly after, I raised my hand, saying the first building collapsed.

At this point, the class lesson stopped. Soon, someone called in a bomb threat to Newburgh Free Academy.

All students were ushered out of the high school as we waited and feared what was happening. Being so close to West Point, we wondered if the Hudson Valley was under attack.

The bomb threat turned out to be a hoax, but all high school students were dismissed for the day.

Friends and I then went together to another friend's home to watch the news. It's a day I, and everyone else old enough to remember, will never forget.