Twenty-five years after the Sept. 11 attacks, New York City marked the anniversary with a day of remembrance, moments of silence and heightened security in Lower Manhattan.
N.J. Burkett has the details on the memorial held for the 9/11 anniversary.
During Friday's ceremony, an additional bell and moment of silence was held to honor first responders, recovery workers, survivors and residents who have died from 9/11-related illnesses.
The anniversary marks 25 years since the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people and left a lasting impact on the nation.
Several tributes took place throughout the morning to commemorate the victims of the attacks. At 8:46 a.m., the first moment of silence was held at the ceremony at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum ceremony. This marks the time American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the World Trade Center's North Tower.
The remembrance ceremony included several moments of silence corresponding with key events of Sept. 11, 2001. The second followed at 9:03 a.m., when United Airlines Flight 175 struck the South Tower.
Additional moments of silence marked the attack on the Pentagon and the crash of Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
For the first time, this year's ceremony also added a silent moment to honor people who were exposed to the clouds of toxic dust released by the twin towers' fiery collapse and have since died of cancer and other illnesses
President Donald Trump instead attended a ceremony at the Pentagon, but among the dignitaries in Lower Manhattan was every living former U.S. president and first lady, members of the Congress, Vice President JD Vance, the governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, as well as Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
At one point, Mamdani stepped over to shake hands with former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who had earlier urged him not to attend the ceremony.
There were no speeches. That is a time-honored tradition. The voices Friday belonged to the families who stepped to the podium to mourn their fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters and sons and daughters.
For many, there is grief mixed with bitterness.
"And my husband, Tom Strada. You are missed more with each year that passes. But how can it be 25 years? And still we have no justice for the role that Saudi Arabia played in your murder," said Terry Strada.
There was a demand for accountability and a demand for tolerance.
"I've had to grow up and spend the past 25 years seeing people use it to hate on our Muslim brothers and sisters, to hate on people who don't look like them, and that's wrong, and that does no honor to the victims here," said one victim's son, Michael Massaroli Jr.
The quarter-century milestone brings together those who witnessed the events in Lower Manhattan, families who lost loved ones and younger generations learning about one of the most significant days in modern American history. The observance continues the nation's pledge to never forget the victims and legacy of Sept. 11.
"The world changed that day. And I just think about the scale of how many people were affected who didn't come home that day, looking at the water," said Brian Kim.
----------
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* More New York City news
* Send us a news tip
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
* Download our connected TV app
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.