9/11 at 25: America Remembers the Fallen, Honors Their Legacy
Shibbir Ahmed, New York — The National September 11 Memorial & Museum will mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks with its annual commemoration ceremony in Lower Manhattan, bringing together victims’ families to remember the nearly 3,000 people killed in the 2001 attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
Family members will read aloud the names of the 2,983 men, women and children who lost their lives in the two attacks during the ceremony at the 9/11 Memorial. This year’s ceremony will include a new moment of silence honoring people who have died from illnesses or injuries linked to the September 11 attacks and their aftermath.
Seven moments of silence will be observed during the commemoration. They will mark the moments when the World Trade Center towers were struck and collapsed, as well as the attacks on the Pentagon and the crash of Flight 93. The additional moment of silence will follow the reading of the names and will become a permanent part of the annual ceremony.
The memorial said hundreds of thousands of people participated in rescue, recovery and relief operations following the attacks in New York City, Arlington, Virginia, and Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Many responders and civilians were exposed to hazardous materials and toxins at Ground Zero, contributing to chronic illnesses and deaths in the years since the attacks.
The 25th anniversary comes as more than 100 million Americans are too young to have a personal memory of September 11, according to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. The institution said its education programs have reached more than 20 million students as it works to preserve the history and lessons of the attacks for younger generations.
The annual Anniversary Digital Learning Experience will allow students and teachers around the world to commemorate the anniversary through a 30-minute film featuring first-person accounts of the attacks and their aftermath, followed by a live chat with museum staff.
The museum is also continuing its Never Forget Fund campaign, which supports 9/11 education and efforts to preserve the memory of those who were killed. Chairman Michael R. Bloomberg is matching donations to the fund dollar-for-dollar, up to $25 million.
The annual Tribute in Light installation will return at dusk on September 11, illuminating the New York City skyline with two beams of light representing the footprints of the World Trade Center towers. The lights will remain visible overnight before fading at dawn on September 12.
For the first time, the Tribute in Light will also be featured in a live national broadcast. At 8 p.m. Eastern Time, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, in partnership with Disney Entertainment Television, will present a one-hour special, “9/11 Tribute in Light: Live from Lower Manhattan.”
The program will be hosted by David Muir, Robin Roberts and Diane Sawyer and will feature performances by Lainey Wilson, Cyndi Lauper and John Ondrasik of Five For Fighting.
The museum will also open a new exhibition, “In Their Honor: 25 Years of 9/11-Inspired Service,” on September 12. The exhibition will explore the continuing legacy of service inspired by the attacks through firsthand accounts, artifacts and multimedia presentations.
Musical performances during the anniversary commemoration will include Grammy-winning cellist Yo-Yo Ma, Jennifer Nettles and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, along with musicians from the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Musica Reginae and The Harlem Chamber Players.
The 9/11 Memorial & Museum said it is also inviting journalists who covered the attacks and their aftermath to record and share their personal experiences as part of an effort to preserve the memories of those who witnessed one of the defining events of the 21st century.
The 25th anniversary commemoration is intended not only to remember those killed on September 11, 2001, and February 26, 1993, but also to preserve the stories of courage, service, resilience and compassion that emerged in the aftermath of the attacks.