Historical information
The World Trade Center in New York City was officially opened on 4 April 1973. Construction work had already begun in the late 1960s. The striking twin towers, the landmark of the complex, were already clearly recognisable when they were completed in 1972. At a height of 417 metres, they were the tallest buildings in the world at the time.
The World Trade Center was an important complex for trade and business activities and housed offices of many international companies as well as a large number of trade organisations. The global trade information service with technologies such as fax, computer and telex was at the forefront of technology at the time.
Tragically, the towers were destroyed by terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001, leading to one of the darkest days in US history.