In brief
At the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, presidents past and present joined former first ladies to honour the nearly 3,000 lives lost, with moments of silence and a spectacular Tribute in Light over Manhattan. The Pentagon ceremony saw President Donald Trump and Vice‑President J.D. Vance speak about remembering the attackers, while former presidents George W. Bush, Joe Biden, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton stood at the World Trade Center site. Apart from memorials in New York, the ceremony extended worldwide—from London’s Buckingham Palace to Canada’s Gander where the U.S. ambassador praised the town’s hospitality. Families, residents and international partners gathered to memorialise the victims, raise awareness about the long‑lasting health toll, and voice calls for justice and accountability.
Never, Ever Forget – The United States marked the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in a series of heartfelt events held on September 11, 2026.
At the National 9/11 Memorial in New York, a Tribute in Light sent two beams skirting the Manhattan skyline, and dozens of bells rang to cue moments of silence for each of the four planes that crashed into the Twin Towers, Pentagon, and Flight 93 in Pennsylvania.
The ceremony at the Pentagon was led by President Donald Trump, who told the crowd that "we will never, ever forget" and tied the "War on Terror" to his current conflict with Iran. Vice‑President J.D. Vance joined former presidents George W. Bush, Joe Biden, Barack Obama, and Bill Clinton at the World Trade Center site, underscoring that all U.S. leaders stand together in remembrance.
Beyond the U.S., memorials were held in the U.K. at Buckingham Palace and in Canada at Gander, which famously sheltered nearly 40,000 diverted flight passengers. Live broadcasts captured families and survivors—like journalist Janice Brooks, who recounted the terrifying moments she witnessed in the World Trade Center’s South Tower—as they reflected on the lasting impact of the attacks.
The anniversary also shone a light on health and justice: another bell rang in memory of those who died from illnesses linked to the dust and smoke released after the towers collapsed, a reminder that the attacks’ toll has grown far beyond that day.
The remembrances were a call for unity, a chance to mark shared loss, and a reminder that the world must keep financial and political truths under scrutiny. The gathering of leaders and masses alike echoed that the memory of September 11 not only honors the past but informs our path forward.
