NEW YORK (WLKI)- Americans are marking the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that killed 2,977 people and changed the nation.
On that Tuesday morning, 19 al-Qaida terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners. Two planes struck the World Trade Center's Twin Towers in New York City, a third struck the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and a fourth crashed in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, after passengers and crew members attempted to regain control of the aircraft.
The attacks killed people from across the United States and dozens of other countries. First responders, recovery workers, military personnel, survivors and the families of those killed have continued to carry the impact of that day over the past quarter century.
At the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in lower Manhattan, family members of victims are gathering for the annual commemoration ceremony and reading the names of those killed. The anniversary observance includes moments of silence at the times each of the four attacks occurred.
This year's ceremony includes a new moment of silence to honor people who have died from illnesses or injuries connected to the attacks, according to the memorial and museum.
Across the country, communities, schools, fire departments and government agencies are also holding ceremonies, lowering flags, ringing bells and observing moments of silence.
The anniversary arrives as many Americans are too young to have personal memories of 9/11. The National September 11 Memorial & Museum says its education and public programs are focused on helping younger generations understand the attacks, their aftermath and the stories of service and resilience that followed.
Twenty-five years later, the anniversary remains a day of remembrance for the lives lost, the families forever changed and the responders who served in the hours, days and years after the attacks.