PHOTOS: Americans mark 25th anniversary of 9/11

Americans gathered Friday to mark the 25th anniversary of 9/11, remembering the victims and reflecting on the catastrophic attacks.

READ MORE: Your guide to the 25th anniversary events happening at the 9/11 memorial sites

Ceremonies were held at memorial sites in New York City, northern Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania , where people laid wreaths and flowers, held moments of silence and loved ones read the names of the victims.

President Donald Trump spoke at the Pentagon , saying, "We will always remember the victims and families" of Sept. 11, 2001.

Vice President JD Vance and all living former presidents observed the anniversary in New York.

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For the first time, the ceremony at ground zero also held a moment of silence for the people who died from illnesses they developed due to toxic exposures from the site.

Law enforcement officers carry a U.S. flag next to the reflecting pools at the 9/11 Memorial, during a ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, in New York City. Photo by Jeenah Moon/ Pool/ Reuters

People pause as they stand at the memorial during a ceremony at the National 9/11 Memorial & Museum on September 11, 2026, in New York City. Photo by Spencer Platt/Pool via Reuters

People observe a minute of silence in New York City on Sept. 11, 2026. Photo by Brendan McDermid/ Reuters

Juan Lopez who lost father Leobardo looks on during a ceremony commemorating the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, at the National 9/11 Memorial & Museum on September 11, 2026 in New York City. Photo by Spencer Platt/Pool via Reuters

Former Presidents Joe Biden and George W. Bush, Vice President JD Vance, former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Gov. George Pataki, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani attend the 9/11 25th Anniversary Commemoration Ceremony Friday, Sept. 11, 2026 in Manhattan, New York. Photo by Barry Williams/Pool via Reuters

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump attend an observance ceremony at the Pentagon. Photo by Elizabeth Frantz/ Reuters

Attendees pause for a moment of silence during an observance ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the Pentagon. Photo by Jonathan Ernst/ Reuters