One World Trade Center: 15 years of rebuilding a landmark

The twin towers of New York City's World Trade Center were iconic. They stood tall as a testament to the strength and abilities of the humans who built them, and to both the city and country that they called home.

The north and south towers officially opened in 1970 and 1971, respectively. The nearly-identical buildings were the tallest in the world until being surpassed by Chicago's Sears Tower in 1973. The north tower stood just six feet taller than its counterpart.

Look back at the twin towers and the World Trade center through the years:

The towers were destroyed in the September 11 attacks, killing over 2,000 people that were within their walls or in the area at the time. In addition to the tragic and unfathomable loss of life, the collapse of the towers caused health issues, worldwide financial problems and severe damage to the surrounding World Trade Center buildings.

The process of cleaning up the rubble of the collapsed towers was a tedious one, and cleanup efforts were deemed complete on May 30, 2002 -- nearly nine months after the attacks. From there, decisions had to be made on what kind of structures would fill the vacant space left by the twin towers as Lower Manhattan was rebuilt.

See how the World Trade Center changed each year on September 11:

A 1,776-foot-tall skyscraper, initially called the 'Freedom Tower,' was pitched as the new One World Trade Center (a title formerly held by the north tower). A ground-breaking ceremony was held for the building on April 27, 2006.

Eight years later, on November 3, 2014, the new One World Trade Center was completed, a shining beacon of the hope and resilience of the American people in the wake of tragedy. The skyscraper, which is the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, overlooks the reflecting pools and museum of the 9/11 memorial, as well as the rest of the new World Trade Center area.

More anniversary coverage:
Source: US House to vote on bill allowing 9/11 victims to sue Saudis
CNN's 9/11 documentary footage gets updates 15 years later
Sorrow, selfies compete at New York's 9/11 memorial 15 years on

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