Watch Live: 9/11 remembrance ceremony in NYC marks 25 years since deadly terror attack
Friday marks 25 years since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, when al Qaeda hijackers crashed four jets into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Every year, the city and nation pause to remember the 2,983 people killed in the 2001 attacks and in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. The solemn ceremony, now including seven moments of silence, began just after 8:40 a.m. at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in Lower Manhattan.
The reading of the names is underway. Children, grandchildren and siblings of 9/11 victims are among those participating.
The first moment of silence was at 8:46 a.m. to mark when hijackers crashed American Airlines Flight 11 into the North Tower. The second moment of silence was at 9:03 a.m., marking when United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower. The third moment of silence happeneda t 9:37 a.m., when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon.
Many politicians and local leaders are in attendance, including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Vice President JD Vance and former presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Meanwhile, President Trump is observing 9/11 at a commemoration ceremony at the Pentagon.
It's the first time the seventh moment of silence will be observed, remembering those who have since died from 9/11-related illnesses or injuries. The last moment of silence will become a permanent part of the annual ceremony, where the families of victims will gather for the reading of the names of the men, women and children killed.
Yo-Yo Ma and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus were among those who performed at the ceremony.
It started as a normal morning 25 years ago in Lower Manhattan. The skies were clear, and New Yorkers headed to the polls for the primaries.
At 8:46 a.m., the unfathomable happened, and everything changed. A CBS News special report came on the air, with WCBS in New York City being the only station bringing live pictures of the North Tower torn open.
"The scale of the devastation and loss caused by 911 terrorist attacks, it was just unfathomable, but so too was the level of valor and heroism that we saw in the first responder community, police officers, firefighters running into those burning buildings, saving countless lives while other were desperately trying to run away," said NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
Twenty-five years is a quarter century, and long enough that an entire generation inherited 9/11 as history.
"There's definitely kids that, the only time they hear about it is during school," said Alexis Charney from Commack High School.
It has also been long enough that the skyline has healed, even if the wound underneath hasn't.
Since Sept. 11, 2001, an estimated 6,000 first responders, survivors and volunteers have died from related illnesses. The New York City Fire Department recently added the names of 36 firefighters who died from related diseases to its memorial wall.
"Thirty-six more reminders that the legacy of September 11th doesn't end on one single day," said FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore.
Today, as One World Trade rises where the Twin Towers stood, ceremonies are filling Lower Manhattan, the Pentagon and a field in Shanksville.
Thousands are gathering, and millions are watching as we honor 25 years of grief.
At night, the Tribute in Light will return, where twin beams will reach up into the sky, echoing the shape and orientation of the Twin Towers. The lights will be visible from a 60-mile radius before fading away Saturday morning.
