On the morning of 11 September 2026, a wave of remembrance swept across the United States and beyond, marking the 25th anniversary of the horrific attacks that shattered the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania on the previous September.
President Donald Trump opened a ceremony at the Pentagon, surrounded by cabinet secretaries and former National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice. He reminded the assembled crowd that the United States had "renewed the sacred oath" that was first sworn on the day of the attacks, and pledged that the nation would never, ever forget.
In New York, Vice‑President JD Vance met a gathering of former U.S. presidents – George W. Bush, Joe Biden, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton – as they stood beneath a tent and listened as names of the victims were read over the span of nearly four hours. The reading, accompanied by moments of silence, was a stark reminder of the lives lost.
At night, two beams of light cut the Manhattan skyline in the Tribute in Light, recreating the two towers that once stood. Other landmarks in the state lit up in blue, and the ceremony at the Philadelphia Flight 93 memorial featured the Wall of Names and the mournful presence of families.
The anniversary also served as a platform for unresolved grievances. A 9/11 widow in New York brought forward criticism of Saudi Arabia’s role in the attacks, asking why the nation had not been held accountable. Her remarks, broadcast worldwide, sparked a flurry of applause and debate.
The health toll of the attacks has compounded the tragedy. As the 2026 ceremony marked the deaths of those who perished on that day, a seventh bell was rung to honour the additional, disease‑related deaths that have come from dust, smoke and asbestos over the past 25 years.
Across the globe, commemorations took other forms. In London, a ceremony at Buckingham Palace was attended by Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband and U.S. Ambassador Warren Stephens. The Toronto Stock Exchange marked the anniversary with a memorial for its employees who died in 2001, and Gander, Newfoundland, celebrated the small town’s hospitality to the thousands of stranded passengers. In Italy, a stair‑climb to the Tower of Galfa paid tribute to the 343 firefighters that lost their lives in the collapse of the twin towers and a small number of Canadian firefighters from Aviano Air Base helped carry out the ritual.
Across all venues, the theme was a quiet unity: the places touched by that day remain forever scarred, yet they continue to echo the collective commitment to remembrance and to the ongoing pursuit of justice. The 25th anniversary taught a generation that the fight against terror and the promise to uphold memory remain intertwined, with the words of Trump echoing in the quiet moments: "We will never, ever forget."
