Quarter-Century Milestone: 9/11 Ceremonies and Tributes Mark 25th Anniversary Across the U.S.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 10: Flowers, pictures and other mementos are placed on names at the September 11 Memorial site a day before commemorations to mark the day of the attacks on September 10, 2026 in New York City. New York City and the nation are preparing to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, in which nearly 3000 people were killed. (Credit: Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

A quarter-century after hijackers killed thousands of people on American soil, the nation is pausing again this morning for the largest wave of 9/11 remembrance since the attacks themselves.

Family members are gathering on the Memorial plaza this morning to read the names of the dead aloud, a ritual that has anchored the anniversary since it began. The Memorial's own program notice puts the start time at 8:30 a.m. EDT, six minutes before the reflecting pools fall silent for the first time at 8:46 a.m. — the moment a hijacked jet struck the North Tower. That's ten minutes earlier than a start time circulating in some anniversary guides this week, so viewers tuning in through the official livestream should plan to log on by 8:30.