2,983 names, 6 moments of silence: US marks 25th anniversary of 9/11 at three sites

The United States will hold major memorial ceremonies Friday at three sites — Ground Zero in lower Manhattan, the Pentagon outside Washington and Shanksville, Pennsylvania — to mark the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, the deadliest terrorist assault in history.

Ground Zero refers to the site of the former World Trade Center, destroyed in the 2001 attacks. The Pentagon was struck when al-Qaeda hijackers flew American Airlines Flight 77 into the building, while United Airlines Flight 93 crashed near Shanksville after passengers overpowered the hijackers, thwarting what investigators believe was a planned attack on the White House.

According to event guidance from the National September 11 Memorial and Museum and media reports on Sunday (local time), the official ceremony at Ground Zero — where the greatest number of victims perished — will begin at 8:30 a.m. The ceremony will include a reading of all 2,983 victims' names by their family members: the 2,977 killed in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks and the six killed in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

Six moments of silence will mark the times of each major event: the first plane's impact on the North Tower at 8:46 a.m., the second plane's strike on the South Tower, the attack on the Pentagon, the collapse of the South Tower, the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 in Pennsylvania and the collapse of the North Tower.

This year, a separate moment of silence will also be observed to honor those who died from illnesses and injuries sustained during rescue and recovery operations. The reading of victims' names is expected to continue until around 1 p.m., concluding with a performance of "Taps."

Vice President JD Vance will attend the New York ceremony on behalf of the administration, while President Donald Trump will participate in the memorial at the Pentagon rather than in New York. Trump told reporters on Aug. 28 that he would attend the Pentagon event instead of the one in New York. Last year, Trump also attended the Pentagon ceremony alongside first lady Melania Trump.

At the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, a ceremony will be held Friday from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. The names of the passengers and crew members who perished will be read aloud, and a memorial bell will be rung in their honor.

From 1 to 2:30 p.m., speeches and musical performances will follow. The ceremony will conclude with members of the public laying flowers at the Wall of Names, a memorial wall inscribed with the names of the victims.