10 Most Important Events In History Caught On Film
2. Attacks On The World Trade Center - 11 September 2001
When: 11 September 2001
Where: New York City, New York
What: On 11 September 2001, the United States was attacked by the global terrorist group al-Qaeda. The attack was orchestrated by men in Afghanistan and elsewhere with the intent of bringing the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a third target believed to be either the White House of Capitol building down.
When the second plane hit the World Trade Center tower, it was caught on video by several private citizens and media organizations, as all eyes were already on the towers following the first attack. The plane that hit the Pentagon was later seen in camera footage, while the plane brought down in Pennsylvania wasn't recorded on video.
The first plane to hit the World Trade Center was caught on video purely by accident. A group of firefighters were filming a practice session on the street when they heard the plane overhead. The camera panned as the people looked, and the aircraft slammed into the building.
It is the only known video of that event, and because of the impact the attacks on 9/11 had on the world, it is truly one of the most important accidental capture videos in history.