Americans observed the 24th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks with solemn ceremonies, readings of victims' names, moments of silence and widespread volunteer efforts on Thursday, gathering in New York, at the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
At the National September 11 Memorial in lower Manhattan, family members and loved ones read the names of the nearly 3,000 people killed, timed to moments marking when hijacked planes struck the World Trade Center and when the towers collapsed. Ceremonies at the Pentagon honored the 184 service members and civilians killed there, and a wreath-laying in a rural field near Shanksville remembered passengers and crew of Flight 93, who fought back against hijackers.
Many survivors and relatives of the dead traveled to the memorial in Manhattan. Denise Matuza, Jennifer Nilsen and Michelle Pizzo boarded a bus from Staten Island wearing T-shirts emblazoned with the names and faces of their husbands, who died when al-Qaida hijackers flew planes into the World Trade Center. "Even 24 years later, it's heart wrenching," said Nilsen, whose husband, Troy Nilsen, worked at Cantor Fitzgerald on the 103rd floor.
Others marked the day with smaller family observances or community service. James Lynch, who lost his father Robert Lynch in the World Trade Center attack, said he and his family would attend a local ceremony in New Jersey before spending time together at the shore. "Any kind of grief, I don't think it ever goes away," Lynch said as he joined thousands of volunteers preparing meals for the needy at a charity event in Manhattan the day before the anniversary. Ronald Bucca, who lost his father, FDNY fire marshal Ronald Paul Bucca, said the memorials also serve to educate younger generations about resilience and loss. Pizzo said she hoped more people would simply take a minute to remember.
Authorities heightened security at public commemorations following the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a public event in Utah the day before the anniversary. That attack prompted additional measures around the World Trade Center ceremony, officials said. Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, had been expected to attend the Manhattan ceremony but instead planned to visit Kirk's family in Salt Lake City, according to a person familiar with the vice presidential travel plans who was not authorized to speak publicly.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump attended a service at the Pentagon and were scheduled to travel to the Bronx for an evening baseball game. Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins attended the ceremony in Shanksville.
The Sept. 11 attacks, carried out by al-Qaida militants, killed 2,977 people, including business workers, firefighters and police officers who rushed to the burning towers. The attacks reverberated globally and reshaped U.S. foreign and domestic policy, triggering the U.S.-led campaign described as the Global War on Terror and leading to the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. The conflicts and their aftermaths have resulted in hundreds of thousands of military and civilian deaths worldwide.
The U.S. government has continued to address long-term consequences for survivors, responders and residents affected by the toxic dust that rose when the towers fell. Federal programs and settlements have directed billions of dollars toward health care and compensation; more than 140,000 people remain enrolled in monitoring programs designed to identify health conditions potentially linked to exposure.
Legal proceedings connected to the attacks have been prolonged. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the man accused of masterminding the plot, was captured in Pakistan in 2003 and held at Guantánamo Bay, but he has not been tried more than two decades after the attacks.
The National September 11 Memorial and Museum, operated by a public charity chaired by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, continued to host the main New York ceremony. The Trump administration has discussed options that could shift some federal control over the memorial plaza and the underground museum and has spoken about the possibility of designating the site as a national monument.
Volunteers nationwide observed the anniversary as a national day of service, participating in food and clothing drives, neighborhood cleanups, blood donation drives and other community events. The combination of public commemoration and volunteerism reflected efforts by many families and organizations to honor victims through both remembrance and sustained civic engagement.
Organizers of memorials emphasized continuity and education, saying ceremonies offered opportunities to recall the facts of the attacks, honor first responders and to pass the memory of the events to younger Americans who were not yet alive in 2001. The annual readings, moments of silence and personal remembrances at the three primary sites have become central to the nation's ritual observance of Sept. 11.
Associated Press reporters contributed to the coverage.