Worst and Firsts

The 3,000 people, mostly civilians, left dead from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York and outside Washington eclipsed the loss of life during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, where more than 2,300 perished.

More than 300 firefighters are missing in New York, making for the worst disaster in Fire Department history.

The New York Port Authority lost more members than any single law enforcement unit in the nation's history.

The closing of the New York Stock Exchange was the longest since the Great Depression.

The notorious firsts:

• Assault on the Pentagon marked the first in the 58-year-old building's history.
• Shutdown of the nation's airspace marked the first time the government has taken such action.
• Hijackings marked the first in the United States in 10 years.

As of 03/2002
Source: Compiled news reports