How 9/11 Shaped My Life

The Tribute in Light is illuminated above lower Manhattan and One World Trade Center ahead of the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on Sept.

9, 2025. —Gary Hershorn—Getty Images Twenty-five years later, Sept.

11 remains a watershed moment, one with both personal and global implications.

To mark the anniversary, TIME spoke to people with very different connections to the day, to hear about what they experienced at the time as well as the ripple effects.

For some, the legacy of the date is one of profound loss.

Others know about the tragedy mostly from history class.

One thing is clear: The attacks that changed the world also changed lives. —Photograph by Andres Kudacki for TIME A firefighter following in his father’s footsteps An aspiring pilot inspired by legacy A lawyer fighting for her client at Guantánamo Bay A veteran finding new ways to serve A pastor who learned a lesson about love A volunteer who will cry with you An Afghan immigrant still chasing his dream A teacher who won’t let history be forgotten A New Yorker committed to getting victims compensated A Broadway director who found healing through art A journalist who told the story of the attacks A family formed on a day of tragedy Colin McShane —Photograph by Andres Kudacki for TIME I was 4½ when my dad died.

I have only brief memories of that day.

I remember my mom taking my twin brother and me out of preschool.

I remember watching the TV at home and then going over to one of her friends’, whose husband was also a firefighter, and watching it there.

We were so young, we didn’t really grasp what was actually going on.

But as you get older, you start to realize what you’ve missed out on.

It’s not quite the same as being sad because you miss someone close to you.

It’s more like you’re sad because you didn’t really get to be close to them.