Commemorations are taking place across the nation to honor the nearly 3,000 lives lost during the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Victims’ families, survivors, first responders, and dignitaries have gathered at memorial sites in New York City, Arlington, Virginia, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
At Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan, the annual ceremony centered around the solemn reading of the names of the 2,977 people killed at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and aboard United Airlines Flight 93. As in past years, six moments of silence were observed to mark the exact times the four hijacked planes struck their targets and when both World Trade Center towers collapsed.
“The passage of time doesn’t diminish the absence,” said one family member during the name-reading ceremony, echoing sentiments felt by thousands gathered at the 9/11 Memorial Plaza.
In addition to the New York memorial:
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The Pentagon: Defense officials and families gathered at the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial to observe a moment of silence at 9:37 a.m., marking the moment American Airlines Flight 77 struck the building.
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Shanksville, Pennsylvania: A ceremony took place at the Flight 93 National Memorial, honoring the 40 passengers and crew members whose actions prevented their hijacked plane from reaching its intended target in Washington, D.C.
The attacks fundamentally reshaped American foreign policy, domestic security protocols, and aviation safety. Emergency response departments across the nation also continue to recognize the 441 first responders killed on September 11, 2001, as well as those who have died in subsequent years from 9/11-related illnesses.
Tributes will continue through the evening, culminating in the annual Tribute in Light, where two twin beams of light project four miles into the sky above Manhattan to symbolize the fallen towers.
