The United States (US) on Friday marked the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks with solemn ceremonies across the country, honouring the nearly 3,000 people killed in the attacks.
Memorial events were held in New York City, at the Pentagon in Virginia and at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania, bringing together victims’ relatives, government officials, first responders and members of the public to remember those who died.
In New York, families of the victims gathered at the 9/11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan to read aloud the names of the 2,977 people killed in the 2001 attacks, as well as the six people killed in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
The ceremony included a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m., marking the time American Airlines Flight 11 struck the World Trade Center’s North Tower. Additional moments of silence marked other key moments of the attacks, including the strike on the South Tower, the Pentagon attack and the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 in Pennsylvania.
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For the first time, a seventh moment of silence was observed to honour people who later died from illnesses linked to exposure to toxic dust and other materials following the attacks.
The 9/11 Memorial & Museum also highlighted the importance of preserving the memory of the attacks for younger generations.
“A quarter century after the September 11, 2001 attacks, 100 million Americans are too young to remember the day that changed our city and nation forever,” the memorial said.
At the Pentagon, President Donald Trump led a separate ceremony honouring the 184 people killed when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the building during the attacks. The observance included tributes to the victims and their families.
Meanwhile, mourners gathered at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where 40 passengers and crew members died after passengers attempted to regain control of the hijacked aircraft.
The Flight 93 victims are remembered for resisting the hijackers after learning through telephone calls that other hijacked planes had been deliberately crashed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Their actions are widely credited with preventing the aircraft from reaching its intended target.
Across the country, the anniversary also prompted renewed remembrance of survivors, first responders and workers who were exposed to hazardous materials at the attack sites. Many of those exposed later developed serious illnesses, adding another dimension to the long-term human cost of the attacks.
The September 11 attacks killed 2,977 people in New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania and profoundly changed American foreign policy, national security and public life.
Twenty-five years later, the commemorations continue to honour the victims while reminding Americans of the lasting consequences of the attacks and the importance of preserving their history for future generations.
