The date of September 11th is one that has carried deep significance for the American public, and countless citizens across the world for over a decade. It marks the day that 2983 people perished in an attack on the World Trade Center in New York back in 2001, and for the past 17 years has been the day that thousands set aside to gather at Ground Zero and mourn the lives that were lost.
During the early morning hours, a moment of silence was observed at 8:46 ET to commemorate the moment the first plane hit the North Tower. In line with tradition, 5 more moments of silence were observed, each marking a different event such as the falling of the towers, the crash of hijacked United Airlines Flight 93 near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and the attack on the Pentagon. Subsequently, the names of those who lost their lives in the attack were read aloud.
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump commemorated the tragic event in Shanksville, Pennsylvania where a memorial was erected in memory of the brave men and women who attempted to take control of the hijacked plane. Despite beginning the day with several tweets attacking the Russia Investigation, President Trump took some time to share a tribute tweeting, "17 years since September 11th!"
Further acts of tribute are slated to take place throughout the day, including the "Tribute in Light." A writer for the New York Times once wrote of its importance musing that it "succeeds because it offers no narrative, no interpretation, no mediation. At a distance, it is not even clear whether the shafts are soaring upward or beaming down from the heavens."
What does this day mean to you?