25th Anniversary of 9/11 Attacks Commemorated Across the United States

Americans are observing a significant anniversary for the devastating September 11 attacks, twenty-five years since a sequence of tragic events unfolded. On that day in 2001, at 8:46 a.m., the North Tower of the World Trade Center was hit by a hijacked plane. Mere minutes later, the South Tower was struck. Ultimately, both towers collapsed. Another hijacked plane targeted the Pentagon. In a field in rural Pennsylvania, passengers aboard a fourth plane valiantly thwarted the hijackers, ending with a crash.

Commemorative Ceremonies Across the U.S.

Across various communities, ceremonies will take place nationwide on Friday to honor the victims. These include gatherings of different scales that reflect the impact of the national tragedy.

New York’s Updated Remembrance

In New York, the National September 11 Memorial and Museum annually honors victims with moments of silence at key times: when the towers were struck, when they collapsed, and when the other planes crashed. For the 25th anniversary, the museum acknowledges additional casualties linked to illnesses from the attacks. A seventh moment of silence will now commemorate these individuals.

The memorial’s ceremony on Friday will incorporate this new observance into its traditional reading of names, scheduled immediately after. It will stream live beginning at 8:40 a.m. EDT, with the first silence at 8:46 a.m. marking the strike on the North Tower. Attendees include former presidents and prominent figures.

Pentagon Memorial Ceremony

President Donald Trump is set to deliver remarks during a ceremony at the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial in Virginia. This memorial honors 184 victims from the Pentagon attack, featuring engraved benches symbolizing each life lost.

Following tradition, the event starts at 9 a.m. EDT. The Pentagon memorial site has recently received recognition as an ‘Affiliated Area’ of the National Park System, emphasizing its national importance. Future plans include a visitor education center.

Flight 93 Remembrance in Pennsylvania

In Shanksville, Pennsylvania, the 9/11 commemoration will begin Friday morning at 8:30 a.m. EDT. Forty passengers on United Flight 93 died that day, having disrupted the hijackers’ plan to target Washington, D.C.

The ceremony will include readings, performances, and symbolic acts such as wreath laying at the Wall of Names. An afternoon event features addresses and additional performances. Activities will be streamed live.

PBS News Coverage of the Anniversary

PBS News is highlighting the 25th anniversary by reflecting on 9/11 events and exploring their ongoing effects. Reports will include stories from those involved on the day, like pilots tasked with stopping Flight 93. Coverage will feature visits to memorial sites discussing the attack’s lasting impact.

Historical archives will revisit artistic interpretations, including a poem suite by Lucille Clifton reflecting on these events, shown in previous commemorations.