Memorials and services for the September 11 attacks

The first memorials to the victims of the September 11 attacks in 2001 began to take shape online, as hundreds of webmasters posted their own thoughts, links to the Red Cross and other rescue agencies, photos, and eyewitness accounts. Numerous online September 11 memorials began appearing a few hours after the attacks, although many of these memorials were only temporary. Around the world, U.S. embassies and consulates became makeshift memorials as people came out to pay their respects.
The first reading of the names of the victims of 9/11 took place at the World Trade Center site on September 11, 2002.
The Tribute in Light was the first major physical memorial at the World Trade Center site. A permanent memorial and museum, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center, were built as part of the design for overall site redevelopment. The 9/11 Memorial consists of two massive pools set within the original footprints of the Twin Towers with 30-foot (9.1 m) waterfalls cascading down their sides. The names of the victims of the attacks are inscribed around the edges of the waterfalls. Other permanent memorials have been constructed around the world.
One of the places that saw many memorials and candlelight vigils was Pier A in Hoboken, New Jersey. There was also a memorial service on March 11, 2002, at dusk on Pier A when the Tribute in Light first turned on, marking the half-year anniversary of the terrorist attack. A permanent September 11 memorial for Hoboken, called Hoboken Island, was chosen in September 2004.
The Sphere, the monumental and world's largest cast bronze sculpture of modern times created by German artist Fritz Koenig stood between the twin towers on the Austin J. Tobin Plaza of the World Trade Center in New York City from 1971 until the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The artefact, weighing more than 20 tons, was the only remaining work of art to be recovered largely intact from the ruins of the collapsed Twin Towers after the attacks. Since then, the bronze sphere, primarily known in the United States as The Sphere, has been transformed into a symbolic memorial to commemorate 9/11. Having become a major tourist attraction, the unrestored sculpture was rededicated on August 16, 2017, by the Port Authority at a permanent location in Liberty Park overlooking the September 11 Memorial.
Soon after the attacks, temporary memorials were set up in New York and elsewhere.
In Europe, annually a commemoration of September 11 to never forget, Nissoria was one of the first public places that dedicated a memorial to September 11 in Europe. Nissoria is in a small town located in the Province of Enna in Sicily, Italy. Two family members of this community, Vincenzo DiFazio and Salvatore Lopez, died on Sept 11 at the World Trade Center.
The then-mayor Dr. Marco Murgo along with the Chiara family Benito Sr. and son Mario developed the project to dedicate a small plot of land adjacent to a local school and museum that was entitled “Parco 11 Settembre”. The Commanding Officer of the nearby U.S. Naval Air Station Sigonella met with this delegation from Nissoria and embraced this truly heartfelt initiative.
Ever since its dedication, and thanks to the present-day Mayor of Nissoria Dott. Armando Glorioso and Dott. Alberto Lunetta who continues this important event, a representation of both American and Italian military personnel from the nearby Military base NAS Sigonella comes to visit and annually commemorate along with all local Italian Authorities, Dignitaries and citizens who truly will never forget this tragic event.
On February 3, 2002, during the Halftime Show of Super Bowl XXXVI, rock group U2 performed Where the Streets Have No Name, while the names of the victims were projected onto banners. Bono opened his jacket to reveal a U.S. flag pattern sewn in the inside lining.
At the opening ceremony of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City on February 8, a tattered American flag recovered from the World Trade Center site was carried into the stadium by American athletes, members of the Port Authority police, and members of the New York City police and fire departments.
On February 23, 2003, the 45th Annual Grammy Awards were held at Madison Square Garden and paid tribute to those who died during the 9/11 attacks, to whom the ceremony was dedicated. Ceremony host Bruce Springsteen performed "The Rising" at the Awards.
American country singer Darryl Worley paid tribute to the people with his 2003 single, "Have You Forgotten?" from the album of the same name.
Newark International Airport was renamed "Newark Liberty International Airport".
On September 11, 2002, representatives from over 90 countries came to Battery Park City as New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg lit an eternal flame to mark the first anniversary of the attacks. Leading the dignitaries were Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, Bloomberg, and Secretary of State Colin Powell. The same day, the Victims of Terrorist Attack on the Pentagon Memorial was dedicated at Arlington National Cemetery near the Pentagon. The memorial is dedicated to the five individuals at the Pentagon whose remains were never found, and the partial remains of another 25 victims are buried beneath the memorial. The names of the 184 victims of the Pentagon attack are inscribed on the memorial's side.
On September 11, 2002, the documentary play, Bystander 9/11 was performed at Church of the Transfiguration, Episcopal (Manhattan), the play has since been published and has been regularly performed on the anniversary of the event, with numerous performances around the United States on the 20th anniversary.
A 9/11 memorial public sculpture by Ingrid Lahti was on display at Bellevue Downtown Park, Bellevue, Washington; it was installed September 11, 2002, and displayed through October.
Many organizations held memorial services and events for the 10th anniversary of the attacks.
The 20th anniversary came just weeks after a hastened withdrawal of United States troops from Afghanistan following the 2021 Taliban offensive in which the Taliban reconquered most of Afghanistan. It was in this climate that former President George W. Bush said in a speech at the Shanksville memorial that both foreign and domestic extremists were "children of the same foul spirit", a comparison which angered some right-wing politicians and media figures. President Joe Biden, former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, and their respective first ladies attended a memorial ceremony together at the National September 11 Memorial, where the World Trade Center towers fell two decades prior. Biden then went on to visit the other two 9/11 crash sites, stopping at the national memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and finally, the Pentagon. Former President Donald Trump visited police and fire houses in New York City to commemorate the attack.
The Acting Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Philip Reeker attended a special changing of the guard at Windsor Castle during which the US National Anthem was performed.
The National 9/11 Flag was made from a tattered remains of a 30-foot (9.1 m) American flag found by recovery workers in the early morning of September 12, 2001. It was hanging precariously from some scaffolding at a construction site next to Ground Zero. Because of safety reasons the flag could not be taken down until late October 2001. Charlie Vitchers, a construction superintendent for the Ground Zero cleanup effort, had a crew recover the flag. It was placed in storage for seven years.
The flag has made a number of appearances across the country, including a Boston Red Sox Game, a New York Giants Home Opener, and the USS New York Commissioning Ceremony. It also appeared on the CBS Evening News and on ABC World News Tonight "Persons of the Week."
The flag began a national tour on Flag day, which was on June 14, 2009. It visited all 50 states where service heroes, veterans, and other honorees each added stitching and material from other retired American flags in order to restore the original 13 stripes of the flag. The flag now resides at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum.
The 9-11 Remembrance Flag was created to be a permanent reminder of the thousands of people lost in the September 11 attacks. The purpose of keeping the memories of September 11 alive is not to be forever mourning, but for "learning from the circumstances and making every effort to prevent similar tragedies in our future." The flag is also meant to be a reminder of how the people of this country came together to help each other after the attacks. The red background of the flag represents the blood shed by Americans for their country. The stars represent the lost airplanes and their passengers. The blue rectangles stand for the twin towers and the white pentagon represents the Pentagon building. The blue circle symbolizes the unity of this country after the attacks.
The 9/11 National Remembrance Flag was designed by Stephan and Joanne Galvin soon after September 11, 2001. They wanted to do something to help and were inspired by a neighbor's POW/MIA flag. They wanted to sell the flag so people would remember the September 11 attacks and in order to raise money for relief efforts. The blue represents the colors of the state flags that were involved in the attacks. The black represents sorrow for innocent lives lost. The four stars stand for the four planes that crashed and the lives lost, both in the crash and in the rescue efforts, as well as the survivors. The blue star is a representation of American Airlines Flight 77 and the Pentagon. The two white stars represent American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines flight 175, as well as the twin towers. The red star stands for United Flight 93 that crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania and all those who sacrifice their lives to protect the innocent. The colors of the stars represent the American flag. The four stars are touching each other and the blue parts of the flag in order to symbolize the unity of the people of the United States.
The National Flag of Honor and the National Flag of Heroes were created by John Michelotti for three main reasons: (1)"To immortalize the individual victims that were killed in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001." (2)"To give comfort to the families left behind knowing that their loved one will be forever honored and remembered." (2)"To create an enduring symbol, recognized by the world, of the human sacrifice that occurred on September 11, 2001."
The Flag of Honor and the Flag of Heroes are based on the American flag. They both have the names of all the innocent people who were killed in the September 11 attacks printed on the red and white stripes of the American Flag. Both flags have a white space across the bottom with the name of the flag and a description printed in black. The Flag of Honor reads: "This flag contains the names of those killed in the terrorist attacks of September 11. Now and forever it will represent their immortality. We shall never forget them" The Flag of Heroes reads: " This flag contains the names of the emergency service personnel who gave their lives to save others in the terrorist attacks of September 11. Now and forever it will represent their immortality. We shall never forget them."
The Flag of Honor and the Flag of Heroes were featured at the NYC 9/11 Memorial Field 5th Anniversary in Manhattan's Inwood Hill Park September 8–12, 2006. There 3,000 flags which represented those who died in the September 11 attacks. The flags were also featured on NBC's Today and on ABC affiliate WVEC in Norfolk, Virginia.
The Remembrance Flag has a white background with large, black Roman numerals IX/XI in the center and four black stars across the top. The IX/XI are the Roman numerals for 9/11. The four stars represent World Trade Center North, World Trade Center South, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, PA.
The growing popularity of virtual worlds such as Second Life has led to the construction of permanent virtual memorials and exhibits. Examples include: