Twenty-five years have passed since the September 11 attacks, but the memory of the 2,977 people who lost their lives remains at the heart of commemorations around the world.
On 11 September 2001, four commercial aircraft were hijacked in coordinated terrorist attacks in the United States. Two were flown into the World Trade Center towers in New York City, a third struck the Pentagon in Virginia, while United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers and crew fought back against the hijackers.
The attacks killed 2,977 people. Thousands more were injured, while the consequences of that morning have continued to affect survivors, first responders, rescue and recovery workers and their families.
Remembering Those Who Responded
Among those killed were hundreds of emergency personnel who responded as the attacks unfolded.
The New York City Fire Department lost 343 members, while 37 Port Authority Police Department officers and 23 New York Police Department officers were killed.
Their actions, alongside those of countless others who helped strangers and colleagues during the attacks and their aftermath, remain an important part of how September 11 is remembered.
25 Years Later
On Friday, 11 September 2026, families of victims will gather at the 9/11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan for the 25th anniversary commemoration.
Family members will read aloud 2,983 names. The figure includes the 2,977 people killed in the September 11 attacks and the six people killed in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
Seven moments of silence will be observed. Six will mark the moments when the World Trade Center towers were struck and later fell, the attack on the Pentagon and the crash of Flight 93. A seventh will honour those who have died from health effects linked to 9/11 and its aftermath.
A New Generation Learns About 9/11
A quarter of a century has also created a generation with no personal memory of that morning.
The National September 11 Memorial & Museum says around 100 million Americans are now either too young to remember the attacks or were born afterwards. Education and the preservation of first-hand accounts have therefore become an increasingly important part of keeping the history of September 11 alive.
The anniversary is being marked with a focus on remembrance, education and service, preserving not only the history of what happened but also stories of compassion, courage and people helping one another in the aftermath.
For us at Mela Bonġu, this is simply a moment to join people around the world in paying our respects.
Twenty-five years later, we remember the 2,977 lives lost, the families who never saw their loved ones return home, the survivors who carried the events of that morning with them, and the first responders and rescue workers who went towards danger to help others.
We remember.
