08:45 EDT:
A passenger jet crashes into the north tower of the World Trade Center.
American Airlines Flight 11, from Boston to Los Angeles, with 81 passengers, nine flight attendants and two pilots.

09:03 EDT:
A second airliner crashes into its twin south tower, causing a devastating explosion.
United Airlines Flight 175, from Boston to Los Angeles, with 56 passengers, two pilots and seven flight attendants.

09:10 EDT:
In Florida President Bush is reading to children in a classroom when his chief of staff,
Andrew Card, whispers news of the attacks into his ear.

09:20 EDT:
The FBI investigates reports of planes being hijacked before the World Trade Center crashes.

09:29 EDT:
First reports of casualties indicate that at least six people were killed, with at least 1,000 injured.

09:30 EDT:
U.S. President George Bush declares: "We have had a national tragedy.
Two airplanes have crashed into the World Trade Center in an apparent terrorist attack on our country."

09:43 EDT:
Abu Dhabi television reports it received a call from the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine,
claiming responsibility for crashing two planes into the WTC. However, leading officials later deny the claim.

09:43 EDT:
Another plane crashes into the Pentagon in Washington.
The nerve center of the U.S. military bursts into flames and a portion of one side of the five-sided structure collapses.
American Airlines Flight 77 from Dulles to Los Angeles with 58 passengers,
four flight attendants and two pilots crashed next to the Pentagon.
About 10 minutes later, a portion of the Pentagon collapses.

09:45 EDT:
The White House and The Capitol are evacuated amid further threats.

09:50 EDT:
All airports across the U.S. shut down.

10:10 EDT:
United Flight 93, en route from Newark, New Jersey, to San Francisco, crashes near Pittsburgh,
north of the Somerset County Airport. Officials believe that plane may have been
headed toward Camp David (the presidential retreat in Maryland), the Capitol Building or the White House.

10:07 EDT:
The south tower of the World Trade Center collapses.

10:27 EDT:
The north tower of the World Trade Center collapses.

12:33 EDT:
United Airlines confirms a second of its plane has crashed at an unknown location.

12:39 EDT:
Bush makes second statement, vows to hunt down and punish those responsible.

13:20 EDT:
Bush leaves Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana for an undisclosed location.

14:48 EDT:
New York's mayor Rudy Giuliani says the eventual death toll from Tuesday's attack may be "more than any of us can bear".

16:25 EDT:
The American Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange say they will remain closed on Wednesday.

16:30 EDT:
President Bush leaves Offutt Air Force Base aboard Air Force One to return to Washington where he will make a nationally televised address.