The United States held a 25th anniversary memorial for the September 11 attacks, during which family members of the deceased read the names of victims and observed seven moments of silence. Meanwhile, Donald Trump attended a separate memorial service for the victims at the Pentagon.
On 11 September 2026, CNN reported that the U.S. held a 25th anniversary memorial of the September 11, 2001 attacks at the former World Trade Center site in New York City. Relatives of the victims read the names of those who died in the attacks, while attendees observed seven moments of silence to honor key moments of that day.
The report noted that six moments of silence corresponded to the times when the four hijacked planes struck their targets and when the World Trade Center buildings collapsed. The seventh moment was to honor those who later died from illnesses related to the 9/11 attacks. The New York ceremony attracted many dignitaries, including U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and former Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama.
The September 11, 2001 attacks occurred after terrorists hijacked four passenger planes. Two planes were flown into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, causing both buildings to collapse and resulting in a total of 2,977 deaths.
Meanwhile, American Airlines Flight 77 was hijacked and crashed into the Pentagon near Washington, D.C., killing 184 people. Former President Donald Trump attended a separate memorial held at the 9/11 Pentagon National Memorial in Virginia. The fourth hijacked plane, United Airlines Flight 93, crashed in a rural area of Pennsylvania after passengers attempted to overpower the hijackers, preventing the plane from reaching its intended target.
The 9/11 Pentagon National Memorial is located southwest of the Pentagon building in Arlington, Virginia. It officially opened on 11 September 2008 to honor the 184 victims of the Pentagon attack and Flight 77. This outdoor memorial features illuminated benches engraved with the names of each victim, arranged by age—from three-year-old Dana Falkenberg to 71-year-old John Yamnicky Sr.—with each name etched onto the corresponding bench.
Source: CNN