Twenty-five years after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the names of nearly 3,000 people killed in New York, Washington DC and Pennsylvania are being remembered as families, survivors and first responders gather across the United States.
The anniversary comes as the country pauses to reflect not only on the lives lost in New York, Washington DC and Pennsylvania, but also on the generations of families and first responders whose lives were permanently changed by the attacks.
On September 11, 2001, 19 al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial passenger planes. Two were deliberately flown into the World Trade Center towers in New York, while a third struck the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. The fourth plane, United Airlines Flight 93, crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers attempted to take back control of the aircraft.
Nearly 3,000 people were killed.
The names remain at the centre of remembrance
At the National September 11 Memorial in lower Manhattan, families of victims are taking part in the annual reading of the names.
The memorial lists the names of the 2,983 people killed in the September 11 attacks and the February 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
This year’s ceremony is particularly significant as it marks a quarter century since the attacks.
Family members are reading the names aloud, continuing a tradition that has become one of the most emotional parts of the annual commemoration.
The ceremony includes seven moments of silence, marking key moments of the attacks, including when the World Trade Center towers were struck and collapsed, the attack on the Pentagon and the crash of Flight 93. A moment also honours people who have died from illnesses and injuries linked to the attacks in the years since.
The 9/11 Memorial & Museum says the anniversary is also an opportunity to ensure that younger generations understand what happened.
The organisation notes that about 100 million Americans are now too young to remember September 11, 2001, making education and remembrance increasingly important as the years pass.
Remembering the first responders
Among those being remembered are the firefighters, police officers, paramedics and other emergency workers who rushed towards the danger as others fled.
More than 400 emergency responders were among those killed on September 11, with many others later developing serious illnesses after being exposed to toxic dust and debris at Ground Zero and other attack sites.
The health consequences have continued decades after the attacks.
Reuters reported this week that the World Trade Center Health Program now serves more than 150,000 claimants suffering from illnesses connected to 9/11, while more than 9,000 members of the programme have since died.
For many families, therefore, September 11 is not simply a remembrance of a tragedy that happened 25 years ago. It is also a reminder of loved ones whose absence continues to shape their lives.
A day that changed America
The attacks transformed the United States’ approach to national security and foreign policy.
They were followed by the US-led invasion of Afghanistan and, two years later, the invasion of Iraq. The attacks also ushered in sweeping changes to airport security, intelligence gathering, surveillance and counterterrorism policies.
The consequences extended far beyond America’s borders, influencing international politics and security for decades.
Yet amid the enormous political and military legacy of 9/11, this year’s commemorations remain centred on individual lives.
Each name represents a person who had a family, friends, colleagues, plans and an ordinary life before that September morning.
Twenty-five years later
Ceremonies are being held at the three principal attack sites – New York, the Pentagon and Shanksville.
President Donald Trump is scheduled to attend the Pentagon commemoration, while Vice President JD Vance is expected to attend the ceremony in New York. Other officials will participate in events in Pennsylvania.
Across the country, communities are also holding smaller memorials and tributes.
The anniversary comes at a time when the United States is deeply divided politically, a sharp contrast to the sense of unity that emerged in the immediate aftermath of the attacks.
But for families who lost loved ones, the central message remains unchanged.
Twenty-five years later, the names are still being read.
And the promise that has accompanied every anniversary since 2001 remains the same: never forget.
