The Falling Man is a photograph taken by Associated Press photographer Richard Drew of a man falling from the World Trade Center during the September 11 attacks in New York City. The unidentified man in the image was trapped on the upper floors of the North Tower, and it is unclear whether he fell while searching for safety or he jumped to escape the fire and smoke. The photograph was taken at exactly 9:41:15 A.M. on the day of the attacks. The photograph was widely criticized after publication in international media on September 12, 2001, with readers labeling the image as "disturbing, cold-blooded, ghoulish, and sadistic". However, in the years following, the photo has gained acclamation. Now regarded as a masterpiece in photojournalism, it is regarded as one of the greatest and most important pieces of art from the 21st century. A Time Magazine retrospective published in 2016 stated "Falling Man’s identity is still unknown, but he is believed to have been an employee at the Windows on the World restaurant, which sat atop the north tower. The true power of Falling Man, however, is less about who its subject was and more about what he became: a makeshift Unknown Soldier in an often unknown and uncertain war, suspended forever in history." Background Of the 2,606 victims killed inside the World Trade Center and on the ground in New York City during the September 11 attacks, some have estimated that at least 200 people fell or―in most cases―jumped to their deaths from the burning towers, while other estimates put the number around 100. All but three of these individuals were observed falling from the North Tower, where considerably more people were trapped on far fewer floors. Officials could not recover or identify the bodies of those forced out of the buildings prior to the collapse of the towers. The New York City medical examiner's office said it does not classify the people who fell to their deaths on September 11 as "jumpers," explaining that a 'jumper' is defined as someone who "goes to the office in the morning knowing that they will commit suicide," adding that the victims who fell from the towers did not want to die but "were forced out by the smoke and flames or blown out." The morning of September 11, Richard Drew was on assignment for the Associated Press, photographing a maternity fashion show in