22nd Anniversary Commemoration Highlights

22nd Anniversary Commemoration Highlights

  • October 4, 2023
Collage showing thumbnail images of blue skies around the globe
SOCIAL MEDIA SNAPSHOTS OF SKIES AROUND THE WORLD AS PART OF REMEMBER THE SKY DIGITAL COMMEMORATION

This year's anniversary commemoration began under gray skies, with family members gathering in drizzle on the Memorial plaza to remember loved ones lost and those still suffering from the ongoing impact of 9/11. But as we led the country in marking 22 years since the day that changed us world forever, blue skies —and later, awe-inspiring New York City rainbows — ultimately appeared above us, reminding us that even on the darkest days, light and hope will prevail. 

Community Day
On Sunday, September 10, we hosted our annual Community Day — dedicated time for 9/11 and 2/26/1993 family members, family members of those who are sick or who have died from 9/11-related illnesses, rescue and recovery workers, active duty first responders, 9/11 survivors, active duty military and veterans, lower Manhattan residents and business owners, and active and retired flight crew members to experience the Museum together.  

This year's community partners included Friends of Firefighters; Victim Compensation Fund (VCF); 9/11 Trail; Crisis Response Canines; World Trade Center Health Program (WTC Health Program); Tuesday’s Children; First Responders Children’s Foundation; 9/11 Memorial & Museum Membership, Visionary Network, and Collections; and 9/11 Environmental Action, with sessions by the VCF and WTC Health Program. 

  • two attendees read a document about the Friends of Firefighters
  • many people of all ages visited community partners' information tables
  • a crisis response canine attends community day
  • commemorative notes posted at the event

Photos: Ben Hider

The 9/11 Anniversary Commemoration
Roughly 6,500 family members attended the 22nd commemoration ceremony on Monday, September 11, as well as numerous dignitaries and elected officials. More than 8,000 tuned in to the ceremony's live stream from our web site, and almost 30,000 on Facebook.  

  • flags and flowers placed on the Memorial
  • family members in solemn remembrance at the ceremony
  • commemorative bell ringing
  • a family member in an FDNY never forget baseball cap at the ceremony
  • a member of the NYPD places flags on the Memorial
  • family members support each other during the ceremony
  • US Army officers attend the ceremony
  • family members of all ages attend the ceremony
  • NYPD officers embrace at the Memorial
  • flowers are placed near loved ones' names on the Memorial
  • a family member carries a framed photo of a loved one killed on 9/11
  • two people embrace in front of the Memorial

Photos: Monika Graff, Ben Hider, David Starke 

Just before the Memorial opened to the public that afternoon, we also hosted a moment of tribute on the Memorial Glade, honoring those who are sick or have died as a result of 9/11-related illness or injury and all rescue, recovery, and relief workers, as well as recognizing the spirit and resilience of the survivors and members of the downtown community.  Memorial & Museum volunteers, Manhattan Community Board 1 members, and other community groups who played a role in the response to 9/11 participated in the ceremony.  We were joined by representatives from the World Trade Center Health Program and Victim Compensation Fund.

Beth Hillman and Allison Turkel lay flowers on the Memorial Glade

Allison Turkel (right), Special Master of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, with President and CEO Beth Hillman laying a bouquet on one of the Memorial Glade monoliths.  

  • laying a wreath upon on of the Memorial Glade monoliths
  • a US Army soldier in camoflage bows at a Memorial Glade monolith
  • a uniformed service member lays a flower on a monolith
  • flowers and an American flag adorn a stone and steel monolith
  • first responders carry their departments' flags in the Glade
  • Guests salute the Memorial Glade

Photos: Monika Graff

Museum staff gathers seated in preparation for the 2023 Digital Learning Experience live chat

Museum staff gathers on site just before the Digital Learning Experience live chat opens.

The Anniversary Digital Learning Experience
This year's Anniversary Digital Learning Experience reached 725,000 participants from all 50 states and more than 30 countries. The program centered on a half-hour film featuring eyewitness accounts and the personal stories of first responders from the NYPD and FDNY, a 9/11 family member, and a NYC public school teacher. Museum staff also engaged in over 1,300 real-time conversations via live chat with classes around the world. Overall we were joined by more than 14,000 teachers, more than 70 libraries, and 60+ organizations. The 2023 film is viewable here

Anniversary in the Theaters
For the second year in a row, we partnered with AMC Theatres on a special initiative to extend the reach of the Anniversary Digital Learning Experience beyond the classroom. Anniversary in the Theaters gave 9/11 community members, groups, and organizations across the country a chance to host screenings of the Digital Learning Experience film at local AMC Theatres. Nationwide, guests attended more than 30 screening events from Virginia to Arizona and Missouri to Texas. In New York City, Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, and State Representative Charles Fall held screenings in their districts as well. 

Ada Dolch, who appears in the 2023 Digital Learning Experience film, speaks to the camera

Ada Dolch in a clip from our 2023 Digital Learning Experience film.

Remember the Sky
Our third annual Remember the Sky digital commemoration invited people around the world to post a photo of their sky on 9/11 on social media with the hashtags #neverforget911 and #rememberthesky. This act of collective remembrance reached 13 million accounts, garnered 241,000 interactions across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, and inspired roughly 70,000 new followers in a single day.

 

Collage showing blue skies around the world

Remember the Sky posts from around the globe

The Never Forget Fund
Our digital fundraising efforts, in total, raised $300,000 from over 2,500 donors. This generosity supports our educational programs that help students, educators, law enforcement, military, and intelligence professionals better understand and connect to the stories of 9/11. 

Four images of the rescue and recovery effort appear as photos taped onto a black background, with The Never Forget Fund logo on right

Evening of September 11
Our annual public art installation Tribute in Light illuminated the nighttime sky from dusk til dawn. Viewable within a 60-mile radius of lower Manhattan, the twin beams of blue light honor those killed and symbolize the city's collective resilience. We are exceptionally grateful for Con Edison's partnership in this year's presentation of Tribute in Light, as well as the grant we received from New York State Assemblymember Charles Fall. 

Blue conEdison logo on white background
Three photos of the Tribute in Light installation illuminating a dark blue sky
Photo: David Starke

As an extension of Tribute in Light, for the 22nd anniversary of the September 11 attacks, we once again partnered with New York City Tourism + Conventions to encourage buildings throughout the city who will light up their facades and rooftops in sky blue. “Tribute in Lights” is a unique but simple gesture of collective remembrance that illuminates the city each year on the evening of September 11 from dusk until dawn.

Participants included Con Edison, One World Trade Center, the Empire State Building, Bloomberg L.P., Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC NYC), The Oculus, RXR Realty buildings, the Helmsley Building, the Bank of America Tower, One Vanderbilt, Barclays, The Howard Hughes Corporation – The Seaport, 425 Park Avenue, David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, New York City Fire Museum, New York Comedy Club, Hudson River Museum, Queens Museum, Intrepid Museum, Battery Park City Authority, Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, Weylin, Empire Outlets, Empire State Plaza, State Fairgrounds – Main Gate & Expo Center, Niagara Falls, Albany International Airport Gateway, Lake Placid Olympic Center, MTA LIRR – East End Gateway at Penn Station, Moynihan Train Hall, Walkway Over the Hudson Historic State Park, JFK Air Traffic Control Tower, LGA East & West Parking Garage Facades, LGA East Substation, LGA Terminal C Headhouse, The H. Carl McCall SUNY Building, State Education Building, Alfred E. Smith State Office Building, the PHOENIX rollercoaster at Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park in Coney Island, Luna Park in Coney Island, and bridges throughout the state including the Goethals Bridge, Bayonne Bridge, Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, Kosciuszko Bridge, “Franklin D. Roosevelt” Mid-Hudson Bridge, and the Fairport Lift Bridge over the Erie Canal.

  • Six images of buildings and landmarks illuminated in blue

Instagram posts showing several of the landmarks that illuminated in blue as part of Tribute in Lights. 

Beth Hillman speaks to a television reporter on the Memorial plaza

9/11 Memorial & Museum President and CEO Beth Hillman speaks to Fox 5 news on the Memorial plaza.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff

College Senior Born on 9/11 in New York City Discusses Her Decision to Attend Law School

College Senior Born on 9/11 in New York City Discusses Her Decision to Attend Law School

  • September 6, 2023
Three smiling people sitting in the stands of a baseball game.

Caleigh Leiken with her parents, Jon and Erika

Like all college seniors, I am balancing competing emotions as I move through what feels like the last year of growing up. I am glad to have this year to spend with friends here at Ohio State and to root for the Buckeyes on Saturdays in the Shoe. I am sad that I will soon say goodbye to college, a time when I learned how to live on my own, and where I witnessed the world emerging anew after the oppression and loneliness of COVID-19. And I look ahead to my life and my future with a combination of optimism and dread.

I feel hopeful because I believe that we seniors, the class of 2024, are ready to do things in the world that will make it better; that, in a unique way, we can help to make the world a more fair, and more safe, and more kind place because of the backdrop of our birth stories and our coming of age. We came into the world at a time of pain and fear around September 11, 2001, and we became adults during a global pandemic. Some members of our class tragically lost family members or even a parent on 9/11, pain and loss that most of us cannot begin to understand. Eighteen years later, as high school seniors, people were dying all around us, and rites of passage like prom and graduation and freshman orientation were canceled or conducted online. Like the Twin Towers themselves, dual tragedies bookended our childhood. And yet, as a group, we found hope in so many things: how celebrities like Jon Stewart used their platform to fight for 9/11 victims’ legislation, and how scientists worked so speedily on vaccines to end the COVID-19 pandemic. And, during this time and through our pain, we also found ways to experience joy: concerts and football games and travel and so many of the things that make college great. We know, in a unique way, what it means to fight for hope and joy, and to never give up that fight even when it feels like the end of the world.

A newborn identification form from Mount Sinai hospital dated 9/11/01 with a baby's footprints and other identifying information.

For us college seniors, living with a sense of dread has been part of life for our entire lives. There is also a sense of responsibility that I think we all feel to get immediately to work making contributions to the world, the real world; to make the world more ready for whatever surprising challenge comes next. When you grow up in between 9/11 and COVID-19, you live with the ubiquitous sense that something terribly bad and terribly shocking can happen at any time. We college seniors are not paralyzed by this reality, because of what we’ve lived through. Instead, we feel like we have internalized the prevailing lesson of the last 22 years: that big, scary problems are solved when we care for one another as a community. And, we feel a kind of impatience to build and fortify structures that protect us and others, and to begin giving back to the world as quickly as we can.

For me personally, from my 18th birthday to today, I discovered an unanticipated calling that brings me full circle to where my life began: it has everything to do with lawyers and the law. As T.S. Eliot beautifully wrote, “The end of my exploring is to arrive where I started and to know the place for the first time.” For me, the structures that I want to help build and fortify are rooted in the ideals embedded within our democracy. These ideals floated in the air above and around me, like an infant’s mobile, during my very early childhood. It was my parents, two lawyers, who put them there.

As I have written about before for this blog, I was born on September 11, 2001 in Manhattan. My very pregnant mom – then a public defender at the Legal Aid Society – walked more than five miles that morning from her Chambers Street office near Ground Zero to my parents’ apartment at 96th and Riverside Drive on the Upper West Side. My parents jumped into a cab to Mt. Sinai Hospital, where Dr. Joyce Kim brought me into the world by emergency c-section at 5:15 pm that day.

Three smiling adults standing in front of an American flag. The woman in the center cradles a baby.

In my childhood home in Shaker Heights, there is a photo of me as a two-month-old baby with my parents and a woman standing in front of an American flag. In a house filled with baby pictures of me and my two younger siblings, this photo has blended into the background of my life for two decades, but it was not until recently that I realized what the photo is about. It was taken on the day in November 2001 that my dad was sworn into his job as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York by legendary U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White. I have now learned all about Ms. White, the first woman to hold the top federal prosecutor’s role in the SDNY, one of the leading branches of the Department of Justice. Ms. White went on to serve as one of the first female chairs of the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission, appointed by President Obama. The photo in my parents’ living room is a photo of three lawyers whose careers were focused on service, and a newborn baby who entered the world on the day that 2,977 people lost their lives in a terrorist attack.

I am inspired by the faces of my parents and Ms. White on this day, just two months after 9/11. They are faces of hope and determination, and a belief in the law as the pathway to make things better. In the past several years, I’ve seen similar expressions of hope in people that I admire, people who believe — like my parents and Mary Jo White — that being a lawyer is a profession of helping to make the world more fair, more safe, and more kind. This includes Justice Michael Donnelly of the Ohio Supreme Court, who showed me during a summer internship how the justice system can better protect criminal defendants during plea bargaining. And it includes the amazing staff of The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, who this past summer taught me about providing a right to an attorney in eviction proceedings for vulnerable individuals and families, because safe and affordable housing is a fundamental right.

Young woman stands at 9/11 Memorial & Museum podium

Caleigh speaks at the Museum

And it includes the staff and volunteers of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, my spiritual home away from home where I have served as a Student Ambassador since I first visited the place of my birth during the summer of 2019. I am inspired by the way that the 9/11 Memorial and the team of professionals who work there teach us not only to remember what happened and to honor those lost on that day, but to fight for positive change for victims and their families through the law.

As I prepare to leave college next spring, I feel a calling to help make the world better through the law. I am excited to enter into my next chapter of law school and to work everyday to help make the world a better place. I know my fellow members of the Class of 2024 feel their own callings, inspired by the unique, sometimes scary and often inspiring journey that we have shared together. And together, next spring, we enter the real world to give back and to say thank you to the communities that cared for us as we grew up, and as we prepared for this moment.

By Caleigh Leiken

Rescue & Recovery: In Their Own Voices With John Paluska

Rescue & Recovery: In Their Own Voices With John Paluska

  • November 4, 2022
John Paluska at Ground Zero, in gas mask, neon safety vest, and hard hat
Courtesy John Paluska

Paluska at Ground Zero, September 2001

Less than one week before the 9/11 attacks, Army veteran John Paluska was a rising college freshman in Iowa. The morning of the attacks — a mere six days into his first year at Fordham University — Paluska stood on the roof of his dorm and watched in horror as the second tower fell. Then he rode the subway downtown, where he ultimately spent almost a week volunteering with rescue and recovery efforts at Ground Zero. In this special Salute to Service installment of our Q&A series "In Their Own Voices," Paluska — who co-founded our Visionary Network in 2020 — talks about the role he played and how the experience inspired him to join the U.S. armed forces. 

Where were you on 9/11? 
I had just moved to New York from Iowa, and I was six days into my freshman year at Fordham University. In my dormitory, I woke up to hearing the news that the towers had been hit and I went to the top of my dormitory and witnessed the second tower fall. Immediately after learning that this was a terrorist attack, and the tragedy of the scene, I jumped on a subway and went downtown to Ground Zero. I took the D train down to 14th Street and walked until I arrived at Manhattan Community College which was two to three blocks north of the World Trade Center. Someone asked me if I was there to be part of the civilian military Response and I said I was there to help. I was asked for my next of kin, however, I didn’t know what that meant, so I gave them my Social Security number. We suited up with some boots and gloves — whatever tools we could find. Off I went into Ground Zero with a group of 30 to 40 other folks. Amongst us were union workers, air conditioner duct workers, iron workers, and military.  

What role did you play in the rescue, recovery, and relief efforts? 
I spent six days at Ground Zero and with a rescue and recovery team on the west side near where the North Tower was. I recovered about four bodies and helped pass along the remains of many other victims, many of which were draped with American flags and others in black or fluorescent orange body bags. In the later days, I ended up helping ironworkers with some of the welding duties and provided general help whenever it was needed.

Can you describe the bond between yourself and other recovery workers? How has this community impacted you? 
The night before the 20th anniversary of the attacks while in a lower Manhattan bar, I met a group of guys, and we started chatting. One was an army commander who had also spent time at Ground Zero.  He showed me photos and somehow remembered me! I hadn’t met with, or spoken with, anyone that I volunteered with until that evening, in fact I rarely talked with anyone about my time at Ground Zero, so it was the most touching experience, and I have met up with him three times since. The bond between fellow rescue recovery workers — whether it be those I worked for or those I worked alongside — and the 9/11 family members is indescribable. It is an infinite and powerful bond that we will never forget. We will always be there for each other. We continue to support the remembrance to honor the victims and it’s a mission that we will never let fail because of the lessons we learned from what happened on September 11, 2001.

What does May 30th mean to you? 
I've made hundreds of friends after 9/11 that did so much more than me and that I have incredible respect for. The people of the 9/11 community inspire me to want to continue to provide more and continue giving more of myself. It’s a community full of heroes, respected authoritative figures, and families whose lives were horrifically changed forever who continue to mourn the huge loss. May 30th is an annual reminder of this. I stay motivated to help educate and bring remembrance to this younger generation.

Do you have any health issues connected to your time at Ground Zero? 
In the weeks after Ground Zero, I ended up developing a postnasal drip and a cough that was relatively significant throughout my freshman year. In November, I went to an ENT doctor to get a chest X-ray. I went back in December. So, despite having only spent six days at Ground Zero, I do have some degree of complications from my short time at Ground Zero. Fortunately, it has not yet turned into anything of a serious nature. 

Regarding the mental health aspects, I think I find solace in being around people who experienced what I experienced. I had been unable to tell my story in detail for 17 years because it was so hard for me to describe what I saw and what I did. It was traumatic for a kid who had just moved from Iowa — from a farm surrounded by cornfields — to see what I saw.

Why is it important to share your story and stories of others with the next generation?
9/11 was a target against humanity. The hardest part over 20 years later is connecting with those who were not born yet and conveying the impact and implications of that horrific day.  The people who gave their lives on that day, and the heroes, in the immediate minutes and hours of the attacks, as well as the community that has come together over the years, showed that you can come back stronger. It shows that no act of evil will ever stop us from representing who we are, what we believe in, nor forgetting and honoring what we’ve been through. 

In 2019, I co-founded the 9/11 Memorial & Museum Visionary Network as a way to connect with the next generation. It is up to us to carry on these stories of heroism and the memories of so many. 
Teaching about the events and honoring those killed is still everyone’s mission. It is important to the 9/11 community to relay the significance of 9/11 and the work that was done, and what happened, because that day shaped the world as we know it.

Anything else you’d like to add? 
Prior to 9/11, I had no intention of joining the military, but I had just served alongside some national guardsmen — folks who were wearing a uniform — and at 18 years old, was one of the youngest to volunteer at Ground Zero. A month after 9/11, I went and spoke to an Army recruiter about my options. I was put in the middle of this catastrophic event, and I was blindsided by the impact it had on me. I was so juvenile, and I had no idea how it would affect me to the point that I completely changed my career and life path. 

I started basic training in April 2002. I later joined the Army ROTC at Fordham and was commissioned as an officer in 2005. I served in the United States Army until March 2017, when I was medically retired following injuries sustained from roadside bombs. As a Green Beret, I was deployed to many countries around the world. As a foreign training advisor, I gained a different understanding of the many different cultures, and the types of hardships people suffer. More than ever, I learned to appreciate the freedoms I have as an American and feel very fortunate to have been born in the United States.

Compiled by Government and Community Affairs Intern Daniella Semper

An Intern Reflects: Pace University, the WTC, and 9/11

An Intern Reflects: Pace University, the WTC, and 9/11

  • October 12, 2022
A model of a yellow convertible car

Toy model car belonging to victim Francisco Liriano, a Pace alumnus

2000-2001 Pace University brochure for its World Trade Institute

2000-2001 Pace University brochure promoting its World Trade Institute

Guest blogger Victoria Seipp is a Pace University student who recently completed an internship with the Government & Community Affairs team at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. In this post, she reflects on a special project she completed during her time with us and the connections she found between her university, the World Trade Center, and the day of the attacks. 

The research for this piece was compiled using information and assistance from a wide breath of departments and internal databases at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. 

I began my project with the goal of understanding the historical context for the connection between Pace University and the original World Trade Center, which led me to the Urban Renewal Project. This project, a development push led by the Downtown Lower Manhattan Association to build a new, dedicated World Trade Center, inspired a broader mid-20th century renovation of the neighborhood. Pace College, which was not yet a university, was the focus of the educational component of this development project. As Pace was well known for its Lubin School of Business, it was an attractive nearby amenity that could be promoted to the investors at the World Trade Center. This led to the construction of 1 Pace Plaza in 1966. Two years later — just a few blocks away — the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey began construction of the Twin Towers. 

The connection between Pace University and the World Trade Center expanded when Pace purchased the World Trade Institute (WTI), located on the North Tower's 55th floor. The WTI was a continuing education program for business professionals looking to specialize in modernized international trade. On 9/11, Pace’s Board of Trustees had scheduled a meeting on floor 55 but postponed the event due to delays in ongoing renovations on the floor. 

For Pace students, 9/11 coincided with, at most, their second week of classes. As the events of this particular Tuesday unfolded before 9 a.m., most students and staff were still in their dorms or commuting.  As the crisis situation escalated, students were quickly ordered to shelter in their dorms. One dorm building, 182 Broadway, is just four blocks away from the World Trade Center, leaving those students especially vulnerable. 

When the South Tower collapsed at 9:59 a.m., the head of security at 1 Pace Plaza made a quick decision to shut off the air intake valves in the building. This gave those who were sheltering in the lobby time to collect themselves and create makeshift masks to protect themselves from the clouds of dust and thick fumes. One survivor who had fled the South Tower's 84th floor, Richard Fern, recalls that he was running away from the collapse when a security guard ushered him to safety inside the lobby of Pace University just seconds before the cloud of dust rushed by.  

Forty-four individuals who were killed on 9/11 had connections to Pace University. The 40 alumni and four students are honored on the "Book of Remembrance" memorials situated on each of the three Pace University campuses. Loved ones have also donated items to the 9/11 Museum that speak to their memory, like a Yellow Thunderbird toy model car prized by victim Francisco Liriano, a program specialist at Citibank who was attending a meeting at Cantor Fitzgerald on the North Tower’s 105th floor.

Pace University reopened on Wednesday, September 19th, 2001, just eight days after the attacks. New York City students slowly returned to their dorms. Staff, including the university's president, made a point to meet students where they were — in the dining halls and dorms — making themselves available as a supportive presence. 

Every one of Pace University’s New York City campus buildings is located inside the Exposure Zone as defined by the Victims Compensation Fund. Students or staff who were exposed to the dust cloud are eligible for the World Trade Center Health Program. As of June 2022, over 3,000 survivors have registered with it. 

It is my hope that this research will serve as a building block for future Pace interns in their research to highlight the relationship between Pace University and the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. 

By Victoria Seipp, 9/11 Memorial Intern

21st Anniversary Commemoration Highlights

21st Anniversary Commemoration Highlights

  • September 29, 2022
Collage of Remember the Sky photos
Social media snapshots of skies around the world as part of Remember the Sky social media campaign

Earlier this month, we led the country in marking 21 years since September 11, 2001, a day defined by previously unfathomable horror and loss, but also by incredible courage and strength. Family members gathered on the Memorial plaza to remember loved ones killed and those still suffering in the aftermath. Even under the day's dark and dreary skies, a powerful sense of resilience and unity shone through. Here, we look back at some of the anniversary highlights. 

Crisis Response canines at the Museum for Community Day
Crisis Response Canines at Community Day September 10

Community Day
The day before the anniversary, we hosted our annual Community Day — dedicated time for 9/11 and 2/26/1993 family members, family members of those who are sick or who have died from 9/11-related illnesses, rescue and recovery workers, active duty first responders, 9/11 survivors, active duty military and veterans, lower Manhattan residents and business owners, and active and retired flight crew members to experience the Museum together. 

2022 community partners included Crisis Response Canines, the FDNY FoundationFirst Responder’s Children Foundation, and the 9/11 Memorial Trail. The World Trade Center Health Program and Victim Compensation Fund also hosted an in information session.

  • Commemorative bell ringing
  • A young boy traces the makes an impression of a name on the Memorial
  • Family members gather to remember loved ones killed on 9/11
  • The reading of victims' names
  • Family members gather to remember loved ones killed on 9/11
  • NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell (left) at the Memorial
  • Remembrance at the Memorial
  • A child places a flag on the Memorial
  • During the ceremony
  • Family members at the ceremony
  • Flags and flowers on the Memorial
  • Members of the FDNY and NYPD at the ceremony
Photos: Monika Graff, Ben Hider, Jin S. Lee

The Ceremony
Roughly 6,000 family members attended the 21st commemoration ceremony on Sunday, September 11, as well as numerous dignitaries and elected officials. Virtually, more than 8,000 tuned in to the ceremony's live stream from our web site, and almost 24,000 on Facebook. 

 

Keating Crown at the Anniversary in the Schools recording
2022 Anniversary in the Schools speaker Keating Crown

Anniversary in the Schools
This year's Anniversary in the Schools program — a 35-minute film featuring detailed accounts of 9/11 by first responders from the FDNY and PAPD, a 9/11 survivor, and a 9/11 advocate — reached more than half a million participants across all 50 states, Washington D.C., Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and 18 other countries. Those who missed the program can still view it here

Anniversary in the Theatres
We partnered with AMC Theatres on a brand-new initiative complementing the Anniversary in the Schools program. Anniversary in the Theaters offered groups and organizations across the country a special opportunity to host screenings of the program at local AMC Theatres. Approximately 800 guests — including teachers, students, and first responders — attended events in Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, and New York. 

The sky above Citi Field in photo posted by the Mets on 9/11
New York Mets' Remember the Sky Instagram post

Remember the Sky & Remembrance Wall
Once again this year, we invited the public to engage in commemoration online through our Remember the Sky social media campaign. Nearly 75,000 people interacted with the campaign on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, posting photos of skies around the world to symbolize our unity and noting the occasion with the hashtag #neverforget911. Hundreds more submitted personal memories and messages to the Remembrance Wall

Evening of September 11
Our annual public art installation Tribute in Light illuminated the foggy sky from dusk til dawn. Viewable within a 60-mile radius of lower Manhattan, the twin beams of blue light honor those killed and symbolize the city's collective resilience. The presentation of Tribute in Light is made possible in part by support of the Anheuser-Busch Foundation.

As an extension of Tribute in Light, we once again partnered with NYC & Company and buildings throughout the city who lit up their facades and rooftops in sky blue. Participants on the 21st anniversary included the Empire State Building, Bloomberg L.P., the World Trade Center Performing Arts Center, One World Trade Center, The Oculus, Brookfield Place, New York City Hall, RXR Realty buildings, the Helmsley Building, the Bank of America Tower, Barclays Bank U.S. Headquarters, One Vanderbilt, Lincoln Center, Museum of the City of New York, Queens Museum, NY Hall of Science, Queens Borough Hall, Niagara Falls, MTA Long Island Railroad East End Gateway at Penn Station, the H. Carl McCall SUNY Building, Empire State Plaza in Albany, the State Education Building, the Alfred E. Smith State Office Building, the New York State Fairgrounds, Albany International Airport Gateway, the Lake Placid Olympic Jumping Complex, Luna Park in Coney Island, JFK Air Traffic Control Tower, LGA West Parking Garage Façade, and bridges throughout the state including the Goethals Bridge, Bayonne Bride, Kosciusko Bridge, Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, Fairport Lift Bridge, and the Franklin D. Roosevelt Mid-Hudson Bridge. 

  • Tribute in Light
  • The Empire State Building
  • Bloomberg headquarters
  • Memorial pool
  • Survivor Tree
  • Lincoln Center
Cleaning the Memorial pools
New York Times, September 11

In the News
Local and national press showcased the anniversary commemoration, the ongoing impact of 9/11, and the stories of those killed. Selected coverage included: 

By 9/11 Memorial Staff

Plan a 21st Anniversary Commemoration

Plan a 21st Anniversary Commemoration

  • September 9, 2022
Sunflowers and small American flags on the Memorial

On Sunday, the families of 9/11 victims will gather at the Memorial & Museum for the annual commemoration ceremony. That private ceremony centers on the reading aloud of the names of the 2,983 men, women, and children who lost their lives on September 11, 2001 and in the February 26, 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center. We also observe six moments of silence marking the times when each of the World Trade Center towers was struck and fell, the Pentagon was attacked, and United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania. 

We invite you to join us for the ceremony via live stream beginning at 8:40 a.m., and to commemorate in your own way as well. Below are some ideas and suggestions for how to help ensure we #neverforget. 

Observe the moments of silence with us.
Note times and their significance. 

  • 8:46 a.m.: Hijackers deliberately crashed American Airlines Flight 11 into floors 93 through 99 of the North Tower.
  • 9:03 a.m.: Hijackers deliberately crashed United Airlines Flight 175 into floors 77 through 85 of the South Tower.
  • 9:37 a.m.: Hijackers deliberately crashed American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon, near Washington, D.C.
  • 9:59 a.m.: The South Tower collapsed.
  • 10:03 a.m.: After learning of the other attacks, passengers on United Airlines Flight 93 launched a counterattack on hijackers aboard their plane to try to seize control of the aircraft. In response, the hijackers crashed the plane into an empty field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
  • 10:28 a.m.: The North Tower collapsed, leaving the 16-acre World Trade Center site in ruins and collateral damage affecting all adjacent properties and streets. The rescue effort commenced immediately.

Bell Tolling
Toll bells at each of the times listed above.

Reading of Victim Names
View or read the names inscribed on the Memorial

Black and white text on sky blue background with Memorial & Museum logo

Remember the Sky Social Media Activation
Participate in our Remember the Sky social media campaign, an active remembrance that recognizes how we are all connected to one another under the same big sky. Snap a picture of the sky where you are - no matter the weather - and post it to Instagram. Get the details here

Share Your Remembrances 
In addition to our Remember the Sky activation, we invite you to commemorate September 11 with your own remembrances and thoughtful posts. Right click on the images below to include them. Please be sure to tag us at @911memorial and include the hashtag #neverforget911. Please also be sure to review our guidelines for proper usage

  • Flowers on the Memorial Glade
  • Hands on the Memorial
  • Pink roses on the Memorial
  • One World Trade Center and an aerial view of the Memorial plaza

Lower Flags
Lower flags to half-staff beginning at 8:46 a.m., the moment when Flight 11 struck the North Tower.

Host a Local Memorial Beautification Day
Plan a volunteer day to clean and restore a 9/11 memorial in your community. Learn more.

Participate in Our Annual Anniversary in the Schools Program
Join students and teachers from around the world for a 35-minute film featuring first-person accounts of the attacks. Watch here.

Talk to Children About Terrorism
Terrorist attacks and acts of extreme violence around the world evoke strong emotions and questions in all of us. Anniversaries of terrorist attacks and moments of commemoration often prompt these difficult emotions and questions for children as well. We have prepared tips as broad guidelines to help parents and caregivers navigate talking to children about terrorism and other mass casualty events. Learn more.

Get Definitive Answers
Visit our FAQ page for trusted information on the attacks, 

By 9/11 Memorial Staff

Alice M. Greenwald Statement on the Killing of Ayman Al-Zawahiri

Alice M. Greenwald Statement on the Killing of Ayman Al-Zawahiri

  • August 1, 2022

The following is a statement from Alice M. Greenwald, President and CEO of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, on the killing of Ayman al-Zawahiri, who led al Qaeda since the death of Osama bin Laden in 2011.

We are so grateful for the collaboration amongst government agencies that has led to bringing criminal mastermind Ayman Al-Zawahiri to justice. Today’s news demonstrates how the 9/11 story continues to evolve, even 21 year later, and reinforces the need for us to keep educating younger generations about the continued impact of 9/11 on the world we live in today. 

We look forward to working with our counterparts in the government agencies responsible for this strike to ensure the National September 11 Memorial & Museum remains the nation’s authority in telling the story of what happened that day and the effects for years to come. 

Ephemera: Premiere of Oliver Stone's World Trade Center

Ephemera: Premiere of Oliver Stone's World Trade Center

  • July 15, 2022
A document with a blue PARAMOUNT logo at the top and black text
Courtesy Michael Ragsdale

Michael Ragsdale has been amassing New York City event-specific ephemera and autographs since 1997, having taken up collecting as while working as a cameraman for C-SPAN, Columbia University, the Manhattan Institute, and the New York-Presbyterian Hospitals of Columbia and Cornell. In the wake of September 11, he began focusing on items pertaining to the attacks and their aftermath. Here, he recalls attending the premiere of the film World Trade Center and the autograph he acquired there. 

The world premiere of the film World Trade Center occurred in New York City on August 3, 2006. I was there to witness the Hollywood-style festivities. The film’s actors, director, and writers were there as well as former city and state leaders. The film was viewed in the magnificent Ziegfeld Theatre in Manhattan and a tent was constructed on the street in front of the theatre where photographers could take pictures of the celebrities. I saw the continuous flashes from cameras and heard the dialogue between the photographers and actors through openings in the tent. The film starred Nicolas Cage, Michael Peña, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Stephen Dorff, Sofia Coppola, and Maria Bello, and was directed by Oliver Stone. Also in attendance were George Pataki, Rudy Giuliani, and many of the retired Port Authority police officers portrayed in the film. While there, I gathered an official press kit and got U.S. Rep. Peter King (R-NY), then the Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, to autograph an official press release. 

Stars of Hope a Symbol of Strength in Ukraine

Stars of Hope a Symbol of Strength in Ukraine

  • June 10, 2022
Four men with cropped dark hair, dressed in military fatigues, one holding a blue and yellow hand-painted wood star, stand against a white brick wall giving "thumbs up." An open box of canned food and supplies is visible in front of them.
Courtesy Dr. Alison Thompson
The Survivor Tree at night, illuminated in blue and yellow
Photo: Jin S. Lee

The Survivor Tree lit blue and yellow in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and our museum colleagues there

On May 18, the 9/11 Memorial pools and plaza remained open late in commemoration of International Museum Day. In solidarity with our museum colleagues in Ukraine, as well as the people of Ukraine, the Survivor Tree was bathed in blue and yellow light and shone as a beacon of our shared resilience. Tied around the railing surrounding the tree were Stars of Hope, hand-painted by 9/11 Memorial & Museum staff members. Once removed, the Stars were then sent to Dr. Alison Thompson, a humanitarian first responder who volunteered as a nurse at the World Trade Center site after the 9/11 attacks. Inspired by her time at Ground Zero, she later founded Third Wave Volunteers, an organization that provides disaster relief around the world. Dr. Thompson is currently on the frontlines in Ukraine, providing medical care to the wounded and training other soldiers to be medics.

The messages of support painted on the Stars provide some comfort to the soldiers and represent our shared values of hope, strength, and resilience. 

By 9/11 Memorial Staff

Rescue & Recovery at 20: Lila Nordstrom, Civilian Survivor

Rescue & Recovery at 20: Lila Nordstrom, Civilian Survivor

  • May 27, 2022
With a row of American flags in the background, a group of men and women pass a pen around as they prepare to sign a document

Lila Nordstrom, left, with members of Congress after successful lobbying. Photo courtesy Lila Nordstrom.

Lila Nordstrom, a student at Stuyvesant High School on 9/11, still lives with the emotional and physical effects of her ordeal that morning. But she parlayed her experience into a life of health care advocacy, founding the organization StuyHealth and lobbying in Washington, D.C. to ensure former lower Manhattan students were covered under the Zadroga Act 

Ahead of the 20th anniversary of the formal end to rescue and recovery efforts at Ground Zero, Nordstrom - who also authored the book "Some Kids Left Behind" - shares her 9/11 story and its long-term impact. 

Where were you on 9/11?
I was a student at Stuyvesant High School, about three blocks away from the World Trade Center. Suddenly, we heard a big explosion and the school shook. When we looked, an enormous fireball was coming out of one of the towers. We looked on with alarm, but our teacher had been there during the 1993 bombing, so he kept teaching until the second explosion. When a student ran by our classroom and told us it was a second plane, we knew it was terrorism. It was in the back of everyone’s minds, but we were hoping it wasn’t. Shortly after, a huge rumbling started, and the dust cloud rushed by. The school decided to move us to our homerooms, but I went to the nurse’s office because I was asthmatic. The nurse’s office was right near the exit we would evacuate from, so when that time came, I was one of the first students out. When I stepped out of the building, the second tower started to fall, so I ended up in a stampede of people running uptown. When things started to calm down, I didn't know anyone and continued walking. Eventually, I saw another teacher from Stuyvesant who kept walking with me.

I walked by my house in the Chelsea neighborhood. People had their car doors open, with the radio blasting so everyone could hear the news. On the radio, we heard rumors that they were evacuating Manhattan, and that there were planes they anticipated heading towards more buildings in New York. I lived right under the Empire State Building, and I decided to get away from skyscrapers. A classmate lived in Astoria, Queens, so the I started walking there. My dad reached me at one point, when I had just gotten to Queens. He told me to turn around and come back, and I said no. I assumed they hadn’t gotten the news that we had to evacuate Manhattan, but it turned out that wasn’t true.

The teacher that I walked with was incredibly comforting to me. I was so happy to have someone take charge of the situation. Now, after communicating with her, I know she was only 25 years old. She was scared herself and holding it together because she was the adult. We walked together for quite a while. During that time, there was another rumor that something happened uptown, and we would have to get to New Jersey. We had whole conversations about how realistic it was to swim to New Jersey, but I didn’t know how to swim. She was the gym teacher and swimming coach, so she was like, “I can swim you to New Jersey!” To me, it was just incredibly comforting to have someone else have some responsibility.

After 9/11, how were you connected to lower Manhattan?
Stuyvesant was one of the first lower Manhattan schools to return, on October 9th. The school had been used as a command center with first responders and search dogs who were sleeping there, and they cleaned it over a weekend. Stuyvesant students were not caught in the dust cloud, so we had no reason to get exposed to the dust on 9/11, but because we returned so early, we got exposed to the clean-up in numerous ways. The building was contaminated, because it was never cleaned properly. We didn’t know that until we left the following summer. The air wasn’t safe, because fires were still burning and continued to burn for months. The area smelled like smoke. The area wasn’t open to the public yet, so it was just residents and us. Then, one of the barges that carried debris to the landfill was moved right next to our school. Trucks dumping debris were driving past all day, every day. We continued to get exposed for months. All that World Trade Center dust with those mystery chemicals that made first responders sick was going right into our airways.

Can you describe the bond you feel with the 9/11 community? How has that community impacted you?
I’ve made so many first responder friends. Advocacy groups that represent first responders and survivors operate in different circles and their resources are different too, which meant there were a lot of obstacles to creating bonds with the responder advocacy community. But the way that they took me in, helped me make introductions, and echoed my points was impactful. There is also a bond between graduating classes who experienced this together. I’ve noticed they are all still in close touch, which speaks to what it is to go through a crisis together.

What does May 30th mean to you?
It was a hopeful moment because it felt like some chapter of this event had closed. For us, by the time that date rolled around, it didn’t mark the end of the crisis for us. It didn’t end up closing in the way we would hope. Our exposure continued after that point, and the back and forth about whether it was safe was ongoing. The date was the end of a specific kind of effort, but not the end of the effort entirely.

Do you have any health issues connected to your time at Ground Zero and the surrounding area?
There were immediate health effects that we experienced, but we were told they were temporary. In retrospect, I can see that’s not something they could have known. If you have 80 kids waiting to go to the nurse’s office over “minor coughs and allergies,” that’s indicative of a larger problem. There were reports at the time that it was impossible to get in to see the nurse at Stuyvesant because the line was so long. My asthma worsened, I developed GERD and PTSD.

Why is important to share your story - and the stories of others - with the generation now growing up with no memory of September 11th?  
If you don’t learn your history, it will repeat itself. I see connections to other disasters, and I see the same mistakes being made over and over. I think the fact that the survivor community has been overlooked in the narrative in 9/11 has not only had consequences for us, but also for how we treat civilian survivors everywhere. It's important to understand what it is to be a civilian survivor and how we can do better by those people. My book is a civilian survivor story that is not about getting sick, but how to take action. I feel obligated to pay that information forward. I want to provide other survivors with the tools needed to become a public figure after a crisis.

Anything else you’d like to add?
I got involved in health advocacy in 2006, when I graduated from college. I was working in college but wasn’t offered health insurance and knew I'd be in the same predicament after graduation too. I realized there would not be a lot of health options available, and I was already struggling to pay for my asthma medication. I was a childhood asthmatic, but my asthma had gotten worse after 9/11. I was stockpiling medicine because I knew I wouldn’t be able to see a doctor to get the medication.

During this time, [NYPD detective] James Zadroga died [January, 2006], which began the discussion about whether more people would also die from their exposure at the World Trade Center. At the time, the conversation was around first responders. I wrote an op-ed and started sharing it with people and eventually turned it into a petition. We started lobbying in Washington and took off from there. The student population was difficult to organize around because they were not residents. There were other schools in the area, like Stuyvesant, that didn't serve local residents exclusively. There was a gap in the advocacy community when it came to young people and someone who went to school downtown. 

Compiled by Caitlyn Best, Government and Community Affairs Coordinator

See Also:
MEMO Blog: Stories of Hope 
MEMO Blog: Lila Nordstrom Advocates for Affordable Health Care

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