Commemorative Events and Special Programs Held in Honor of the 18th Anniversary of the 9/11 Attacks
Each year, during the week of September 11, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum hosts, supports or participates in many commemorative events and special programs to highlight that the effects of these attacks are still felt. These are some of the events we held to this week to mark the 18th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks:
We hosted a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee field hearing on Monday in Foundation Hall. Featuring three former homeland security secretaries, the hearing touched on how the Department of Homeland Security has evolved to address an ever-changing threat landscape since 9/11, how it can adapt to new and emerging threats and what role Congress plays in addressing the dynamic nature of identified threats.
On the evening of September 10, the 9/11 Memorial Museum was reserved for family members, family members of individuals who are sick or who have died from 9/11-related illnesses, 9/11 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.
On the afternoon of September 11, the Museum hosted Cantor Fitzgerald’s annual company memorial service in Foundation Hall. Cantor Fitzgerald, whose offices were on the 101th through 105th floors of the North Tower, lost 658 of its New York employees on 9/11.
The annual Anniversary in the Schools webinar was accessed by hundreds of thousands of students and teachers on the anniversary. The program is still available on-demand here. Caleigh Leiken, a high school senior born in New York City on September 11, 2001, chose to celebrate her 18th birthday by serving as an ambassador for the webinar program and hosted a school-wide assembly in her school in Ohio, Shaker Heights High School, to mark the anniversary.
9/11 Memorial & Museum staff worked with colleagues at various cultural institutions throughout the New York City region to present an excerpt Wolfgang Staehle’s “2001” timelapse video.
Following the 9/11 commemoration ceremony, the 9/11 Memorial plaza was open to the public until midnight for the annual showing of Tribute in Light.
WNET/WLIW’s All Arts channel broadcast “Rescue, Recovery & Healing: The 9/11 Memorial Glade Dedication & Tribute,” a documentary about the history of the recovery at Ground Zero, our Memorial Glade dedication ceremony and a special program we hosted in Foundation Hall with Choir!Choir!Choir! and Rufus Wainwright.
Throughout the week, various news outlets published informative, engaging articles about the work of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum and the long-reaching effects of 9/11 into today:
What Happens to the Heartbreaking Tributes Left at the 9/11 Memorial (New York Times)
9/11 Memorial Is a Beacon for Communities Facing Tragedies (Wall Street Journal)
Homeland Security and Terrorisms (C-SPAN)
NYC, Nation Commemorate 9/11 With Somber Tributes, 18 Years Later (CBS Radio)
Live Updates: Remembering Those Lost 18 Years Ago on 9/11 (New York Times)
Ground Zero Ceremony Marks 18th Anniversary of 9/11 Attacks (Wall Street Journal)
Families, law enforcement officials honor 9/11 victims at ceremony (Newsday)
9/11 ceremonies offer a chance to honor those lost, and to heal (Newsday)
Families, firefighters gather at World Trade Center site for 18th annual memorial service for 9/11 victims (Daily News)
Never Forget': New York, Nation Mark 18 Years Since the 9/11 Terror Attacks With Somber Ceremonies (NBC4 New York)
At 9/11 memorial, new recognition for a longer-term toll (Associated Press)
Rob O'Neill, Bernard Kerik take emotional tour through 9/11 Museum (Fox News)
18 years after 9/11, thousands of first responders still struggle with health issues (NBC Nightly News)
Mourners remember 9/11 victims at Ground Zero on 18th anniversary (New York Post)
Young Relatives of 9/11 Victims Carry Legacy in Their Names (Wall Street Journal)
Meet the Proud Caretakers of the 9/11 Memorial (WNBC-TV)
By 9/11 Memorial Staff
The 9/11 Memorial & Museum selected Las Vegas, Pittsburgh and Greece as recipients of this year’s “Survivor Tree” seedlings. The communities, which have recently been impacted by extreme disaster or violence, have committed to nurturing these trees to serve as landmarks symbolizing resiliency and hope.
The 9/11 Memorial & Museum’s public programming season kicks off on Thursday, Sept. 17, with a conversation with Garrett Graff, author of “The Only Plane in the Sky." Graff talked to the MEMO blog about his inspiration for and experience of writing this book.