September 11 attacks: 25 years since the tragedy that shook the world
The United States honors the 2,977 victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks
This Friday, September 11, 2026, marks the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. A quarter of a century later, the United States remembers the 2,977 victims killed in the attacks on New York’s World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and aboard the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania. The figure excludes the 19 terrorists who carried out the hijackings.
On that morning in 2001, members of the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial aircraft. Two struck Manhattan’s Twin Towers, which subsequently collapsed. A third hit the Pentagon in Arlington, just outside Washington, D.C.
The fourth aircraft, United Airlines Flight 93, crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers and crew attempted to regain control of the plane.
Their actions prevented the hijackers from reaching their intended target. The 9/11 Memorial & Museum documents the stories of the four flights and the people aboard them.
A quarter-century of remembrance
The commemoration honors those killed, the survivors, and the rescue and recovery workers.
Twenty-five years later, the Memorial in New York remains a place of mourning for families and a site where generations who did not experience the attacks can learn about their consequences.
To mark the anniversary, the Memorial has announced a special broadcast of Tribute in Light for Friday evening. The installation projects two beams of light into the New York sky in remembrance of the Twin Towers. It forms part of the commemorations dedicated to preserving the victims’ memory and passing on the legacy of 9/11.
