NEW YORK — Twenty-five years after the September 11 terrorist attacks transformed the United States and changed the course of modern history, Americans gathered Friday to remember the nearly 3,000 people killed in the attacks and the thousands more whose lives were forever altered.

The centerpiece of the anniversary was the annual commemoration at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in Lower Manhattan, where victims’ relatives gathered to read the names of those who died in the 2001 attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

This year’s observance carried particular significance as it marked the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001. The ceremony also introduced a new moment of silence honoring people who later died from illnesses and injuries connected to the aftermath of the attacks.

A Quarter-Century After the Attacks
The attacks on September 11, 2001, killed 2,977 people in New York, at the Pentagon and near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

The anniversary ceremony also remembered the six people killed in the February 26, 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, bringing the number of names read during the memorial commemoration to 2,983.

At Ground Zero, family members continued the tradition of personally reading the names of loved ones.

The ceremony began in the morning, with the first moment of silence observed at 8:46 a.m., the time American Airlines Flight 11 struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Additional moments of silence marked the other key moments of that morning, including the impact on the South Tower, the collapses of both towers, the Pentagon attack and the crash of Flight 93 in Pennsylvania.

But this year’s ceremony included something new.

Seventh Moment of Silence Honors Those Who Died Later
For the first time, the memorial included a seventh moment of silence dedicated to people who died from health consequences related to September 11 and its aftermath.

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum said thousands of first responders, rescue and recovery workers, relief workers and Lower Manhattan residents have died from illnesses associated with exposure following the attacks.

The addition recognizes that the human cost of September 11 did not end when the towers collapsed.

Reuters reported that the new moment of silence formed one of the defining features of this year’s 25th anniversary observance.

Four Former Presidents Gather at Ground Zero
The anniversary also produced a rare political scene.

Vice President JD Vance attended the Ground Zero ceremony alongside former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

Their appearance brought together four former presidents from different administrations at one of the nation’s most emotionally significant memorial sites.

President Donald Trump, meanwhile, attended a separate commemoration at the Pentagon in Washington, where American Airlines Flight 77 struck the building on September 11, 2001.

The simultaneous ceremonies underscored how the anniversary continues to occupy a unique place in American public life.

Ground Zero Ceremony Was Not Open to Everyone
Security surrounding the 25th anniversary was considerably more extensive than an ordinary September 11 commemoration.

New York City officials had warned residents that Lower Manhattan would face major street closures, pedestrian restrictions and heightened security because of the number of dignitaries attending the ceremony.

The NYPD and U.S. Secret Service established security perimeters around Ground Zero, with invited guests required to pass through screening points. The ceremony itself was not open to the general public, although people around the world could watch the event through an online livestream.

The city specifically urged New Yorkers to avoid driving into the area because of the restrictions.

The Tribute in Light Returns
As darkness fell, another familiar symbol returned to the New York skyline.

The Tribute in Light projected two enormous blue beams into the night sky from Lower Manhattan, recreating the shape and orientation of the Twin Towers.

The installation has been presented every year on the evening of September 11 since its introduction six months after the attacks. According to the 9/11 Memorial, the beams can be seen from as far as 60 miles away under suitable conditions.

For the 25th anniversary, the memorial partnered with Disney and its entertainment platforms for a first-of-its-kind nationwide broadcast of the Tribute in Light, allowing viewers far beyond New York to watch the tribute.

A New Generation Is Growing Up Without Memories of 9/11
The 25th anniversary also comes at a major generational turning point.

A growing portion of Americans were not alive when the attacks occurred or were too young to remember them.

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum said roughly one-third of the U.S. population is too young to remember the events firsthand, making education and preservation of firsthand stories increasingly important. Its educational programs now reach millions of students.

That generational distance has become one of the central challenges of remembering September 11.

For survivors, first responders and victims’ families, the day remains deeply personal. For younger Americans, the attacks increasingly exist as history rather than lived experience.

The memorial has emphasized the importance of preserving those personal accounts so the human stories behind the statistics are not forgotten.

The Legacy of September 11 Still Shapes America
Twenty-five years later, the consequences of 9/11 extend far beyond the memorial site in Lower Manhattan.

The attacks reshaped U.S. national security policy, airport security, intelligence operations and American military strategy for decades.

They also influenced U.S. foreign policy and helped set the stage for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Reuters noted that the legacy of September 11 remains deeply connected to debates over American foreign policy, domestic security and the country’s response to terrorism.

The attacks also created a continuing health crisis among first responders and others exposed to toxic dust and debris at Ground Zero.

The FDNY has reported that hundreds of firefighters have died from illnesses associated with the aftermath of the attacks, illustrating why this year’s additional moment of silence carried such significance.

A Day of Remembrance, Not Forgetting
At Ground Zero, the reading of the names remains one of the most powerful parts of the anniversary.

Parents remember children.

Children remember parents they barely knew.

Spouses remember partners who never came home.

And first responders remember colleagues who entered the burning towers and never returned.

The memorial pools now occupy the footprints of the Twin Towers, surrounded by the names of those who died.

Twenty-five years after September 11, the skyline is dramatically different. One World Trade Center rises above Lower Manhattan where the Twin Towers once stood.

But the names remain.

The ceremony, the moments of silence and the Tribute in Light all serve the same purpose: to ensure that the passage of time does not erase what happened.

The latest situation
As of September 12, 2026, the 25th-anniversary commemorations have concluded in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. Ground Zero hosted the principal New York ceremony with victims’ families, Vice President JD Vance and four former presidents. President Trump attended the separate Pentagon remembrance. The 9/11 Memorial also introduced its seventh moment of silence for those who later died from 9/11-related illnesses and injuries, while the Tribute in Light illuminated the New York skyline that evening.

Twenty-five years later, the central message remains unchanged:

We remember. We honor. And we will never forget.

Sources
New York Post: Everything to know about the 9/11 25th anniversary ceremony at Ground Zero