20 haunting photos from the September 11th attacks that Americans will always remember

It's been 14 years since the attacks of September 11, 2001. But for millions of Americans, haunting memories of that day are still fresh, and many lives were changed forever.

On 9/11, terrorists hijacked four planes and were able to crash two of them into the World Trade Center's twin towers in New York and one into the Pentagon. The remaining jet crashed in Pennsylvania when passengers overpowered the hijackers.

A day that started out with clear blue skies ended with a mass of twisted, smoldering metal where the Twin Towers once stood, leaving 2,977 people dead in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania, along with the 19 hijackers.

"14 years after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, we honor those we lost," Barack Obama wrote on Twitter this morning. "We salute all who serve to keep us safe. We stand as strong as ever."

In memory of that day, here are 20 images that capture what no American will forget. And as someone living in New York City at the time, here's what it was like to witness the tragedy as it unfolded.