On the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, the United States paused to honor the 2,977 individuals who perished when hijacked planes struck the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. The victims represented more than 90 countries, including Canada, India, Great Britain, South Korea, and the Dominican Republic, underscoring the global nature of the tragedy.
At the National 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York City on September 11, 2026, visitors stood silently at the memorial during ceremonies commemorating the anniversary. The event served as a moment for collective reflection on an attack that reshaped American consciousness and demonstrated how interconnected the nation is with the world.
NPR’s Scott Simon recalled walking through Lower Manhattan in the days following the attacks, encountering rows of photographs pasted on lampposts and walls featuring urgent messages from families searching for loved ones. Images displayed phrases such as “Have you seen my wife?” and “Last seen, 8:20 AM, Tuesday,” with question marks that Simon described as piercing like hooks into the hearts of those who saw them.
The tribute also highlighted the 43 members of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union who worked that morning at Windows on the World restaurant atop the North Tower. None survived the tower’s collapse.
A poem titled “Alabanza: In Praise of Local 100” by Martín Espada was read to honor these restaurant workers. The piece praises Manhattan from 107 stories up, describing immigrants from Ecuador, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Yemen, Ghana, and Bangladesh who could glimpse their world through the great windows. It celebrates the kitchen staff who cracked eggs, worked overtime to support families back home, and found moments of joy through music despite the dangers above.
Twenty-five years later, Americans continue to shudder at the memory of that day while pausing to praise those lost in the thunder.
Scott Simon’s recollection of the missing posters is haunting. Those question marks must have been unbearable to see.
Does anyone else feel like we haven’t fully processed what happened yet? Some questions remain unanswered.
I never realized how many international victims there were. It truly was a global tragedy.
Twenty-five years and it still feels like yesterday. Time moves too fast when you’re grieving.
The poem about the restaurant workers really touched my heart. Their stories deserve to be remembered.