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Ceremonies across the United States on September 11 2026 marked a quarter century since the terrorist attacks that killed 2977 people in New York the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania with the National September 11 Memorial and Museum staging the central event at Ground Zero where family members read aloud the names of all 2983 victims from the 2001 attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. The New York Times reported that elected officials former presidents and relatives gathered in Lower Manhattan for the solemn remembrance which included the traditional six moments of silence timed to the plane strikes tower collapses and other key points in the attacks. For the first time PBS News noted the ceremony added a seventh moment of silence to honor the thousands who have since died from illnesses linked to toxic dust at the site a toll that World Trade Center Health Program data show now exceeds the number killed on the day itself.
The National September 11 Memorial and Museum scheduled the program to begin at 830 a.m. with the first moment of silence at 846 a.m. Eastern time corresponding to the moment the first plane hit the North Tower. Vice President JD Vance attended alongside all four living former presidents Bill Clinton George W. Bush Barack Obama and Joe Biden as well as former first ladies and New York officials including Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani according to CGTN reporting. The event also featured a memorial mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral later in the day and a concert by the New York Philharmonic with the U.S. Army Field Band Soldiers’ Chorus at the Perelman Performing Arts Center.
At the Pentagon President Donald Trump led the commemoration where a giant American flag was unfurled on the building’s exterior as it has been each anniversary since 2001 the Air and Space Forces Magazine detailed. Trump told the gathering “Today we renew the sacred oath that we first swore in their names a quarter of a century ago” and added “We will never ever forget” while linking the resolve shown after the attacks to ongoing national efforts. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine also spoke at the sunrise observance that honored the 184 people killed there when American Airlines Flight 77 struck the building.
In Shanksville Pennsylvania ceremonies at the Flight 93 National Memorial remembered the 40 passengers and crew who fought back against hijackers causing the plane to crash before it could reach its intended target. PBS News reported that Vice President JD Vance and other administration officials joined families at that site while similar observances took place at firehouses schools and community centers nationwide with flags flown at half-staff across New York City municipal buildings. The 911memorial.org site outlined additional programming throughout 2026 including exhibits on 25 years of inspired service and public discussions examining the attacks’ lasting effects on American society.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani issued an executive order ahead of the anniversary designating September 11 as a Day of Remembrance and Service which encouraged volunteer efforts and educational programs the CGTN dispatch indicated. A recent poll cited by The Independent found that roughly half of U.S. adults consider the September 11 attacks the most historic moment of their lifetime underscoring the enduring place the events hold in national memory. The National September 11 Memorial and Museum further noted that its Never Forget Fund received matching pledges up to 25 million dollars from former Mayor Michael Bloomberg to support ongoing education and preservation work.
Former President George W. Bush who was in office on the day of the attacks joined the New York gathering where participants laid flowers and observed periods of quiet reflection around the memorial pools according to multiple news accounts. The Gothamist reported from interviews with educators and families that for a generation now coming of age without personal memory of the attacks the commemorations serve as a vital link to the past with New York Council Speaker Julie Menin announcing new funding to teach the events in schools. Additional events in the Washington area featured exhibits at the National Museum of American History and volunteer service at Arlington National Cemetery to honor both those killed on September 11 and the responders who followed.
