OddsFrontUnited States marks the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks
Families and officials are gathering in New York, at the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania as the country observes a milestone anniversary under a national half-staff order.
A national milestone
The United States is marking 25 years since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks with ceremonies at the three principal memorial sites: lower Manhattan, the Pentagon and the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania. The anniversary commemorates 2,977 people killed in the attacks, as well as the emergency workers and others who later developed illnesses connected to the disaster response.
At New York’s 9/11 Memorial Plaza, relatives of victims are gathering for the annual reading of names. The ceremony is structured around moments of silence corresponding to the aircraft impacts, the collapse of the World Trade Center towers, the attack on the Pentagon and the crash of Flight 93. The Guardian’s canonical article carries an editorial photograph of visitors at the memorial on September 10.
Ceremonies in Virginia and Pennsylvania
President Donald Trump was expected at the Pentagon observance, while Vice President JD Vance was expected at the New York ceremony. The Pentagon memorial was closed to the general public during the official morning programme, with access retained for victims’ relatives, survivors and their families. In Pennsylvania, the remembrance includes the names of Flight 93’s passengers and crew and the ringing of memorial bells.
The Flight 93 programme also includes an afternoon public wreath-laying at the Wall of Names. A separate candle-lantern observance is scheduled for September 12, with 40 lanterns representing the passengers and crew. Across the country, local fire departments, civic institutions and communities are holding their own ceremonies, extending the anniversary beyond the federally managed memorial sites.
Flags lowered under Patriot Day proclamation
A White House proclamation dated September 9 designated September 11, 2026 as Patriot Day and directed federal departments, agencies and instrumentalities to fly the national flag at half-staff. The proclamation invited state and territorial governors, organisations and individuals to join the observance. It also reiterated the official count of 2,977 victims and acknowledged first responders living with long-term health consequences.
The anniversary arrives as the United States continues to debate the institutional legacy of the attacks, including counterterrorism powers, overseas wars, emergency-worker healthcare and the government’s early statements about air quality around Ground Zero. The ceremonies themselves are commemorative rather than a military or diplomatic action. What follows will be continued attention to survivor care, outstanding victim identifications and the public record of the government’s response.