Twenty-five years after the United States was attacked by terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001, remembrance ceremonies are scheduled to take place across the country at locations where nearly 3,000 people died in the attacks.
Approximately 2,977 people died on Sept. 11, 2001. Among them, 2,753 died at the World Trade Center, 184 died at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and 40 passengers and crew members died aboard a hijacked plane that crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Additionally, thousands of first responders, recovery workers and survivors have died since the attacks from illnesses linked to exposure to toxins from debris at Ground Zero and other sites. The 9/11 Memorial & Museum says thousands have died from 9/11-related illnesses.
The 25th
anniversary World Trade Center memorial ceremony will be livestreamed Friday.
What happened on Sept. 11, 2001?
On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked four passenger planes and crashed them into several United States landmarks, including the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia.
The fourth plane crashed into an empty field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers tried to take control of the plane to prevent it from crashing into another "important symbol of democracy and freedom."
Overall, 2,977 people died in the attacks. In the years since 9/11, thousands of first responders, recovery workers and survivors have died from illnesses related to exposure to toxins from the attacks.
Thousands more continue to deal with 9/11-related health conditions. The World Trade Center Health Program provides monitoring and treatment for people with certified 9/11-related health conditions.
How to watch livestream of 9/11 remembrance ceremony
The 25th Anniversary Commemoration Ceremony in New York City will begin at 8:40 a.m. Sept. 11. The public can watch the ceremony livestream from the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.
The ceremony is private and is not open to the public. Family members of victims will read the names of those killed in the 2001 attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Seven moments of silence will be observed.
Remembrance ceremonies taking place at each 9/11 site
25th Anniversary Commemoration Ceremony
- Location: National September 11 Memorial & Museum, Ground Zero, New York
- Time: 8:40 a.m. ET
- What will happen: Family members will read the names of those killed in the 2001 attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. There will be seven moments of silence.
Pentagon Memorial Ceremony
- Location: National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial, Arlington, Virginia
- Time: Official Pentagon observance in the morning
- What will happen: The ceremony will honor the victims of the attack on the Pentagon and American Airlines Flight 77.
25th Annual September 11 Observance
- Location: Flight 93 National Memorial, Shanksville, Pennsylvania
- Time: 8:30 a.m. ET and 1 p.m.
- What will happen: Reading of the names of the 40 passengers and crew, Bells of Remembrance, keynote remarks and wreath laying.
9/11 Tribute in Light
- Location: Lower Manhattan, New York City
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- What will happen: Tribute in Light sends two beams of light into the night sky over New York to honor those killed and "shine a light on the unbreakable spirit of New York."
When are the moments of silence taking place today, Sept. 11?
There will be seven moments of silence observed today, including one new one. Here are the times and what they signify, all times ET:
- 8:46 a.m.: Flight 11 hits the North Tower.
- 9:03 a.m.: Flight 175 hits the South Tower.
- 9:37 a.m.: Flight 77 hits the Pentagon.
- 9:59 a.m.: The South Tower falls.
- 10:03 a.m.: Flight 93 crashes near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
- 10:28 a.m.: The North Tower falls.
The seventh moment of silence will occur after all victims' names have been read to honor people who have died from 9/11-related illnesses.
The 9/11 Memorial & Museum announced that the seventh moment of silence will become a permanent part of future annual commemoration ceremonies.
Flags flying at half-staff today in New York, US
The U.S. flag will be flown at half-staff at federal buildings and other locations today, Sept. 11, in observance of Patriot Day.
New York has also directed flags on state buildings to be flown at half-staff in remembrance of those killed in the attacks.
Pentagon Memorial closed to public as victims' families get private access
The U.S. Department of War announced Sept. 10 that the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial will be closed from 3 a.m. to noon Sept. 11.
The closure does not apply to victims' families, survivors or survivors' families and is in support of the 25th anniversary 9/11 observance ceremony.
What is Patriot Day?
In December 2001, a law was passed to designate Sept. 11 as Patriot Day. The law requests the president to issue a proclamation calling on:
- Everyone to observe a moment of silence to honor those who were killed.
- All state and local governments to observe Patriot Day with programs and activities.
- Everyone to fly the U.S. flag at half-staff in honor of those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: 9/11 25th anniversary: How to watch today's ceremonies and moments of silence
