25th Anniversary of 9/11 Attacks: How America Is Marking ‘Moments That Divide Time’

25th Anniversary of 9/11 Attacks: Twenty-five years to the day after hijacked planes struck the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania, the United States is pausing this Friday, September 11, 2026, for the largest wave of remembrance the country has held since the attacks themselves. The 25th anniversary of 9/11 attacks brings family members back to the Memorial plaza in Lower Manhattan to read the names of the dead, a Pentagon ceremony that President Trump is attending for the second year in a row, and a Shanksville, Pennsylvania observance honoring the passengers of Flight 93. For the first time, organizers have added a seventh moment of silence — one dedicated specifically to first responders and survivors who later died of cancers and other illnesses tied to the toxic dust released when the towers collapsed.

The milestone lands at a moment when the country is still measuring how deeply that single morning reshaped it. A new poll found that roughly half of U.S. adults consider 9/11 the most historic event of their lifetime, a quarter-century after nearly 3,000 people were killed in under two hours. This year’s ceremonies also carry a political undercurrent: New York City’s first Muslim mayor is facing criticism from some Republican figures over his plan to attend the ground zero ceremony, a tradition his predecessors have followed for years. Below is a full breakdown of today’s schedule, where to watch, what’s changed for the 25th anniversary, and the lasting impact of that day on American life. We’ll be updating this article monthly as new details, tributes, and related developments come in.

What Happened on September 11, 2001

On the morning of September 11, 2001, al-Qaida hijackers took control of four commercial airliners. Two were flown into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan, causing both towers to collapse within roughly two hours. A third plane struck the Pentagon outside Washington, D.C. The fourth, believed to be headed for a target in the nation’s capital, crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania after passengers and crew fought back against the hijackers. Nearly 3,000 people were killed across the three locations, making it the deadliest terrorist attack in world history and the deadliest single incident for firefighters and law enforcement officers in U.S. history.

25th Anniversary of 9/11 Attacks Key Highlights

Full Schedule of Today’s 25th Anniversary Ceremonies

The New York ceremony, held on the Memorial plaza at the World Trade Center site, begins at 8:30 a.m. and centers on family members reading aloud the names of everyone killed in the 2001 attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Six moments of silence mark the exact times each tower was struck and fell, along with the Pentagon and Shanksville impacts. This year’s new seventh moment of silence is dedicated to the responders, survivors, and downtown workers who died in the years since from World Trade Center-related illnesses — a group whose full numbers remain uncertain even a quarter-century later.

At the Pentagon, officials and military families gather at the building’s memorial for a ceremony honoring the 184 people killed there. President Trump, who marked last year’s anniversary at the Pentagon as well, is expected to speak about the attack’s lasting impact on national security. In Shanksville, a ceremony at the Flight 93 National Memorial honors the 40 passengers and crew members whose actions are widely credited with preventing a fourth strike on Washington.

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Where to Watch the 25th Anniversary Ceremony Live

What’s New for the 25th Anniversary

Beyond the additional moment of silence, this year’s remembrance carries a scale that smaller anniversaries haven’t. The Fire Department of New York rolled out a yearlong 25th-anniversary commemoration plan, including a dedicated ceremony held earlier this week, a commemorative patch and medal collection, a department-produced documentary about FDNY chaplain Father Mychal Judge, and a podcast series. The plan also honors the 343 FDNY members killed on the day itself and the more than 400 members who have since died from World Trade Center-related illnesses — underscoring how the health toll from the attacks has continued to grow long after the initial disaster.

Remembrance events are also reaching far beyond the three attack sites this year. Communities across the country are marking the day with tributes ranging from illuminated beams projected from New Hampshire’s Mount Washington to a memorial stair climb at a college football stadium in Mississippi to a ceremony at a memorial in Honolulu. The nonprofit 9/11 Day, co-founded by Jay Winuk after his brother Glenn Winuk was killed responding to the towers, is coordinating volunteer projects nationwide and arranged for dozens of Times Square billboards to briefly pause advertising and simply display the time at 9:11 a.m. Winuk has said the group sees volunteering as a meaningful way to mark the day.

One Family’s 25-Year Journey: A Son Follows His Father’s Badge

Among the quieter, personal stories emerging around this anniversary is that of Casey Kloepfer, a newly sworn-in New York police officer whose father, Officer Ronald Kloepfer, reported for duty at a Brooklyn station house on the morning of September 11, 2001, before being called to the World Trade Center. He never came home. Casey was four years old at the time and grew up hearing about his father’s dedication to helping others. This past June, he became an officer himself, now wearing his father’s badge number and joining the police department’s lacrosse team, which his father had founded decades earlier. Stories like his illustrate how the attacks’ impact has stretched across a full generation, shaping careers and family identities long after the headlines faded.

Political Tension Over New York’s Ceremony

Not every part of this year’s remembrance has been free of controversy. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the city’s first Muslim mayor, is planning to attend the ground zero ceremony, following the same tradition his predecessors observed for years. That plan has drawn criticism from some Republican figures, including former Governor George Pataki and former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, along with some victims’ relatives who have pointed to past remarks made by some of Mamdani’s political associates about the attacks.

Mamdani, a Democrat who was an elementary school student in New York at the time of the attacks, has responded that he wants the day’s focus to remain on victims’ families, first responders, and the way New Yorkers supported one another afterward, describing the events of that day as a horrific act of terrorism. The disagreement reflects a broader, long-running debate about how the 9/11 commemoration — traditionally kept free of political speeches — intersects with the city’s current political landscape, and both sides of the dispute have been vocal in the days leading up to the anniversary.

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The Long Shadow: How 9/11 Reshaped American Life

A quarter-century later, the effects of that single morning remain woven into daily American life in ways that go well beyond the ceremonies held each September. The attacks triggered the U.S.-led war on terrorism, including the invasion of Afghanistan — the longest war in U.S. history — and the invasion of Iraq. Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaida leader behind the attacks, was killed by U.S. forces in Pakistan in 2011, but Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the man accused of orchestrating the plot, is still awaiting trial more than two decades after his capture.

Domestically, the attacks reshaped air travel security, expanded federal surveillance and intelligence-gathering powers, and led to new banking and financial monitoring regulations. They also led directly to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, a wave of state-level anti-terrorism laws, and billions of dollars in ongoing state and local counterterrorism funding. The now-familiar public safety slogan “if you see something, say something” also traces its origins to the post-9/11 era.

Timeline: How 9/11 Changed U.S. Policy and Society

The Health Toll That’s Still Growing

One of the most significant, and least resolved, legacies of 9/11 is the ongoing health crisis among survivors and responders who were exposed to the toxic dust cloud released when the towers collapsed. Thousands of firefighters, police officers, construction workers, and downtown residents have since developed cancers and respiratory illnesses linked to that exposure, and the exact number affected remains uncertain even 25 years later. This year’s addition of a seventh moment of silence — specifically for those who died from World Trade Center-related illnesses — reflects growing recognition that the attacks’ death toll has continued to rise long after the emergency response ended.

Unity, Backlash, and the Muslim American Experience

The attacks initially produced a wave of national unity, prompting many Americans to join the military, fire departments, and police forces in the years that followed. But that same period also brought a rise in mistrust, prejudice, and hate crimes directed at Muslim Americans, a painful chapter that historians and civil rights groups continue to study. In the 25 years since, Muslim Americans have taken on a growing role in public life, from state legislatures to Congress to, now, New York’s City Hall — a shift that underscores how complicated and layered the post-9/11 legacy has become.

Why Sept. 11 Isn’t a Federal Holiday

Despite its significance, September 11 has never been designated a federal holiday, meaning schools, government offices, and most businesses remain open. Instead, Congress has designated the day as both Patriot Day and a National Day of Service and Remembrance, encouraging Americans to mark the anniversary through volunteer work, community service, and moments of reflection rather than a day off. That framework is part of why organizations like 9/11 Day have leaned into volunteer projects — meal-packing events, blood drives, and community service activities — as one of the most common ways Americans choose to observe the anniversary each year.

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How Schools Are Marking the Anniversary

For a generation of students now decades removed from the events of 2001, the 25th anniversary has become as much an educational moment as a commemorative one. Many schools nationwide are using this milestone to introduce lessons on the attacks and their aftermath to students who have no living memory of that day, relying on survivor testimony, archival footage, and classroom discussions to convey the scale of what happened. Educators say the anniversary offers a natural opportunity to connect a historical event with its ongoing real-world consequences, from airport security procedures students encounter when they travel to the geopolitical conflicts that followed.

FAQs About 25th Anniversary of 9/11 Attacks

Official Resources for the 25th Anniversary

Conclusion

A quarter-century after hijacked planes struck the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania, the 25th anniversary of 9/11 attacks is drawing the nation back to moments of silence, name readings, and quiet acts of service rather than politics — even as this year’s ceremonies unfold against a backdrop of political disagreement in New York and a growing understanding of the attacks’ long-term health toll. From a police officer honoring his father’s badge number to a newly added moment of silence for those who died from illness years later, this year’s remembrance reflects a country still measuring the full weight of a single September morning a generation later. As President Trump put it at a remembrance event this week, there are a few moments in history that divide time into what came before and what came after — and for millions of Americans, September 11, 2001, remains exactly that kind of moment. We’ll be updating this article monthly with new developments related to 9/11 commemorations, health research on survivors and responders, and ongoing legal proceedings tied to the attacks.

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