WASHINGTON – The United States is marking the 23rd anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks with tributes and memorial ceremonies across the country, including in the Washington, DC area

Nearly 3,000 people died when al-Qaeda-linked militants hijacked four planes, flying two into the World Trade Center in New York and one into the Pentagon before crashing the fourth in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Memorial ceremonies will take place at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York, the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania, and the Pentagon outside Washington, DC.

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At sunrise on Wednesday, a giant U.S. flag was unfurled on the west side of the Pentagon, where one of the hijacked planes left a gaping wound in the country’s military headquarters.

On Tuesday, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Navy Admiral Christopher W. Grady commemorated the anniversary of the attack at a ceremony in the Pentagon courtyard.

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The U.S. flag was unfurled on Wednesday, September 11, 2024, on the 23rd anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

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Mayor Muriel Bowser and the DC City Council will hold a memorial ceremony to remember those who died and first responders. A ceremony will also be held at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial grounds in DC.

To mark the anniversary, Arlington National Cemetery is observing a National Day of Service and Remembrance.