The United States commemorates the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on Friday, with memorials and remembrance ceremonies taking place nationwide to honor the nearly 3,000 individuals who lost their lives.
In New York City, the National September 11 Memorial and Museum will host its annual commemoration ceremony. Families of the victims will gather at the 9/11 Memorial Plaza to read aloud the names of those killed in the 2001 attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
The 25th ceremony is scheduled to commence at 8:30 a.m. local time. Six moments of silence will be observed throughout the proceedings, marking the moments when each tower was struck and fell, as well as the times of the attack on the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia, and the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 in Pennsylvania.
Earlier this year, the museum announced the addition of a seventh moment of silence to honor the thousands of individuals who have died from the health effects of the attacks and their aftermath. Years of rescue, recovery, and clearing operations amid the toxicity created at Ground Zero and Lower Manhattan have been linked to a wide range of cancers and respiratory diseases.
Current and former New York City leaders, along with other political figures, are expected to attend the ceremony, including the city’s mayor, Zohran Mamdani.
Former President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, as well as former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, are also expected to attend the New York ceremony.
Former President Donald Trump is expected to commemorate the anniversary at the Pentagon, the site where American Airlines Flight 77 crashed after being hijacked. That ceremony is scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. ET. On Friday morning, a large American flag was unfurled against the side of the Pentagon building, echoing the iconic imagery from the day of the attacks.
Vice President JD Vance is also expected to attend the New York ceremony.
On Wednesday night, a drone display featuring 2,977 lights—one for each person killed in the attacks—illuminated the skies over New York Harbor before forming the outline of the Twin Towers.
Friday’s memorial ceremonies occur just days after the Mamdani administration released over 170,000 documents related to health concerns, air quality, and the city’s response to the attacks. These records suggest that New Yorkers were misled about the safety of the air quality in the aftermath of the events.
Also on Friday morning, New York City firefighters will hold a ceremony at the FDNY firefighters memorial on Manhattan’s Upper West Side to honor the 343 members of the department who lost their lives on September 11.
In Virginia, the national 9/11 Pentagon memorial will be closed to the public from 3:00 a.m. through noon on Friday for the Pentagon’s 25th anniversary observance ceremony, with the exception of victims’ families, survivors, and their families.
In Pennsylvania, a ceremony is also planned at the Flight 93 National Memorial, where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed after being hijacked, beginning at 8:30 a.m. ET. The morning observance will include a reading of the names of the passengers and crew members, followed by the ringing of the bells of remembrance. The afternoon ceremony is set to feature remarks, keynote speakers, and music, concluding with a public wreath-laying ceremony at the Wall of Names, according to the National Park Service.
On Saturday, a subsequent ceremony will take place at the Flight 93 National Memorial, where 40 candle lanterns will be carried to the Wall of Names and placed beneath the names of each passenger and crew member.
Additional ceremonies and memorial events are scheduled for Friday across the country as communities mark a quarter-century since the devastating attacks.