The 9/11 Memorial Commemorates the 17th Anniversary of the Sept. 11 Attacks

A woman wearing a blue ribbon stands beside a bronze parapet on the 9/11 Memorial. She is touching a name on the Memorial while holding a cardboard sign with photos of a man. Dozens of flowers of various colors have been placed at names around here. Small American flags have also been placed at the names.
A family member pays tribute at the 9/11 Memorial during a special ceremony. Photo by Jin Lee, 9/11 Memorial.

Family members who lost a loved one, survivors, first responders and elected officials gathered at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum Tuesday to commemorate the 17th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The names of 2,983 the men, women and children who were killed in the attacks at the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon and near Shanksville, Pa., and as a result of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing were read aloud by family members who often concluded the list of names with a fond remembrance of a father, son, sister, wife or daughter taken too soon.    

The litany of names and the impromptu remembrances of family members were punctuated by six moments of silence – marking the times at which the twin towers were struck, when they fell, and the moment of impact at the Pentagon and the crash of Flight 93.

As of 3 p.m., the 9/11 Memorial is open to the public until midnight for the annual viewing of Tribute in Light, which will illuminate the sky just south of the World Trade Center. The 9/11 Museum is open only to families today and will reopen to the public on Wednesday, Sept. 12.

Please share your remembrances with the hashtag #Honor911 and follow the social media conversation here. Add a 9/11 anniversary photo frame to your Facebook profile photo.

Search our Memorials Registry to find a local 9/11 memorial near you and use these suggested resources for planning a commemoration ceremony in your community.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff

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