As we remember those who lost their lives in the tragic 9/11 attacks on the United States 23 years ago, we're also taking a look at some of the most incredible stories from that fateful day.
On September 11, 2001, 2,977 innocent people lost their lives when 19 terrorists hijacked four airplanes and launched the deadliest attack on US soil in history.
Tragically, the attacks are still claiming lives as a result of illnesses and diseases caused by the sheer amount of dust, smoke, and debris that blanketed New York City, per BBC News.
As well as so many stories of tragedy and heartache that emerged from 9/11, there were also many stories of hope and faith.
One of which came from a fan of Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow, as they have both shared their incredible story.
On the morning of 9/11, the now-51-year-old Marvel star was in New York and had just attended a very early yoga class.
Speaking to Reuters back in 2011, Paltrow revealed that she was on the way home when she encountered a young woman "jaywalking across the street".
"We kind of both stopped at the same time and waited a really long time," Paltrow told Reuters while promoting her movie Contagion in Venice.
Paltrow then revealed how she and the woman did "this stop-start thing" for some time before they laughed and finally went on their separate ways - presumably never to cross paths ever again.
However, the Goop mogul then revealed that 10 years after their encounter that morning, she received a letter from the same woman - who later identified herself as Lara Lundstrom Clarke.
In her letter, Clarke revealed that due to their run-in, she missed her train to work at the nearby Christopher Street station - arriving just in time to watch it pull away.
She then revealed that she worked on the 77th floor of the South Tower - which was struck at 9:03AM by the hijacked Flight 175 - collapsing less than an hour later at 9:59AM.
Paltrow revealed that Clarke described their interaction as her 'Sliding Doors moment' - referring to the plot of one of her movies where a character's choice about catching a train determines how things will turn out for her.
Clarke - who was 24 at the time of the chance meeting - has also spoken out about the moment.
Working at the time as an account manager for Baseline Financial Services, she told The Morton Report in 2011 how she was nearly hit by a silver Mercedes SUV.
"I stopped and they screeched to a halt," Clarke said. "Then it developed into one of those classic who-goes-first situations.
"It got ridiculous. Then I made eye contact with the Mercedes driver. OMG, it was Gwyneth Paltrow."
"At that time I was annoyed at everything that had made me late that day, including Gwyneth Paltrow," Clarke recalled.
She had opted to get the next train and exited the World Trade Center stop at 8:47AM - just one minute after Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower. Clarke was then instructed to seek shelter back in the subway.
"All I could think about then was my parents and if I died, what it would do to them," she added. "My heart was racing, I was paralyzed. I couldn’t even speak. ‘Get me outside, I need to be outside.'"
Following the tragedy unfolding, she now credits Paltrow with saving her life, saying: "If I had made that train I would have been at my desk on the 77th floor of 2 World Trade Center."
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