The Wall Street Journal, whose main newsroom was directly across the street from the World Trade Center, has chronicled the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the subsequent transformations in America over the past 25 years. The paper's archives reveal how the events of that day continue to resonate, shaping the nation's politics, economy, and collective psyche.
Journal staff recounted their experiences covering 9/11 from a shattered newsroom in New York City. One reporter described seeing the first plane hit the North Tower and the subsequent debris, followed by the second tower erupting in flames, which was captured by television cameras. The article also mentions the harrowing experience of witnessing people jumping from the burning towers and the eventual collapse of both structures.
The terror attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people, significantly altered how many Americans perceived their place in the world and their security at home. The WSJ draws a comparison between the long shadow cast by 9/11 and the impact of the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, which propelled the U.S. into World War II.
