An in-depth look at the 9/11 memorial and museum

On September 11, 2001, tragedy struck in both New York City and Washington D.C. In D.C., an American Airlines flight crashed into the Pentagon, and in New York City, two planes flew into the two World Trade Center towers. More than 3,000 people were killed during the attacks in New York City and Washington D.C., including about 400 firefighters and police officers.

While the pain was deep and the cities saw the effects long after that day, New York City made its best effort to rebuild and stand strong as a city. Thus, the 9/11 memorial and museum was born. The museum prides itself on being an educational and historical institution that works on "honoring the victims and examining 9/11 and its continued global significance."

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The memorial in New York City includes two reflecting pools -- one for each tower -- which are each about an acre in size, making them the largest manmade waterfalls in North America. Each pool sits in the footprints of where each of the towers once stood. The memorials also pay tribute to the six people who were killed in the World Trade Center bombing in February 1993.

Architect Michael Arad and landscape architect Peter Walker created the design for the memorial after sifting through submissions for a global design competition that included more than 5,200 entries from 63 different nations.

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Surrounded each reflecting pool, the names of every person who died in both the 2001 and 1993 attacks are inscribed into bronze panels. The panels border the pools, powerfully reminding visitors of the largest loss of life resulting from a foreign attack on American soil. The 9/11 attacks also marked the greatest single loss of rescue personnel in American history.

The 9/11 Memorial Museum focuses on examining the implications and tragedy that came along with the events of 9/11, with an emphasis of documenting the impact of those events. The museum specifically explores the continuing significance and lasting impact of the awful events that occurred on September 11, 2001.

See the gallery below for photos of a 9/11 museum display:

See more special coverage of the 14th anniversary of 9/11:
14 iconic photos that capture September 11th
The workers who poured their hearts into One World Trade Center
Children of 9/11 want to focus on the future