Remembering The World Trade Center, dedicated April 4, 1973

Remembering The World Trade Center, dedicated April 4, 1973
More than a New York City landmark
The twin towers were icons of the nation when America ruled the skyscraper world

Dilemma X

On today, April 4, 2015, Dilemma X would like to take this moment to remember the April 4, 1973 dedication date of the twin towers of New York City’s World Trade Center. The World Trade Center twin towers were a 1970s grand expression of  architecture. But, the World Trade Center towers represented something more than just buildings. The twin towers represented the power of New York City and the economic vigor of the United States.

Tall was not new to New York City. New York long had the tallest building in the world, the Empire State Building (from 1931 until the topping out of the original World Trade Center’s North Tower on December 23, 1970), and famous skyscrapers such as: MetLife Building (former Pan Am Building), Chrysler Building and the Comcast Building (or 30 Rockefeller Center, formerly known as the RCA Building or GE Building).

The World Trade Center twin towers became symbols and the image of New York City. New York City’s World Trade Center were at the forefront of a rapid trend of building taller around the United States and around world.

On Tuesday, September 11, 2001 at 8:46 a.m., hijackers crashed American Airlines Flight 11 into the northern facade of the World Trade Center’s North Tower (1 WTC), and at 9:03 a.m., another 5 hijackers crashed United Airlines Flight 175 into the southern facade of the South Tower (2 WTC). The South Tower (2 WTC) collapsed at 9:59 a.m. after burning for 56 minutes. The North Tower (1 WTC) collapsed at 10:28 a.m. after burning for 102 minutes.

The destruction of the Twin Towers and other properties killed thousands of innocent people and impacted New York and the United States.

The new One World Trade Center tower, also known as Freedom Tower, now stands near the site of the former twin towers. One World Trade Center, became the tallest structure in New York City on April 30, 2012, when it surpassed the height of the Empire State Building.
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Video: World Trade Center twin towers

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Video: Lower Manhattan skyline

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Video: Driving into Manhattan and a view of One World Trade Center

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One World Trade Center