Americans are commemorating the 21st anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States that left nearly 3,000 people dead.
Ceremonies are being held on Sunday across the country to remember the victims, including the recital of the names of the dead, tolling of church bells, and a tribute at the site where New York City’s twin towers tumbled.
The ceremonies will be held at the places where hijacked jets crashed on September 11, 2001 — the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania.
Americans are marking the day with candlelight vigils, interfaith services and other commemorations. Some Americans are joining in volunteer projects on a day that is federally recognized as both Patriot Day and a National Day of Service and Remembrance.
On Sunday, President Joe Biden plans to speak and lay a wreath at the Pentagon, while first lady Jill Biden is scheduled to speak in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where one of the hijacked planes went down after passengers and crew members tried to storm the cockpit as the hijackers headed for Washington.
Vice President Kamala Harris and husband Doug Emhoff are due at the National Sept. 11 Memorial in New York, but by tradition, no political figures speak at the ground zero ceremony. It centers instead on victims’ relatives reading aloud the names of the dead.
