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Today marks the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, and the United States is commemorating the tragic events with ceremonies across the nation. At the Pentagon this morning, a giant American flag was unfurled to honor the 184 victims of American Airlines Flight 77, which crashed into the building. President Donald Trump will attend the ceremony, accompanied by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, to pay tribute to those who lost their lives.
In New York City, Vice President JD Vance, along with former Presidents Joe Biden, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, will participate in a commemoration at Ground Zero. This event will honor the over 2,600 people who perished when hijacked planes struck the Twin Towers. The ceremony will include a reading of the victims' names and moments of silence.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy will be present at the 9-11 memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where United Flight 93 crashed after passengers and crew thwarted the hijackers' plans. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority will pause all trains and buses for one minute at 9:37 a.m., the time when Flight 77 hit the Pentagon, as a mark of respect.
The Pentagon remains the only attack site without a visitor center or museum, but plans are underway for a 9/11 Pentagon Memorial Visitor Education Center, slated to open in 2029. A groundbreaking ceremony is set for Saturday (September 12), the day after the anniversary.
President Trump, who is originally from New York, last attended the Ground Zero ceremony in 2024. He described 9/11 as "a day to remember the victims, and their beautiful family members."