New York: The New York City commemorates the 24th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks — a day that claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 people and profoundly altered the course of American history.

Vice President JD Vance is expected to attend the annual memorial ceremony at Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan, where the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center once stood. The solemn event will also honor the victims of the Pentagon attack and United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers fought back against the hijackers.

At 8:46 a.m., the exact time American Airlines Flight 11 struck the North Tower, the city will observe a moment of silence. Church bells will ring across the city, and family members of the victims will once again read aloud the names of those lost.

This year’s remembrance comes amid a tense and politically charged atmosphere, as New York enters a contentious mayoral race. The race features incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, former Governor Andrew Cuomo, and progressive Democrat Zohran Mamdani — a socialist and Muslim American lawmaker who currently holds a commanding 22-point lead, according to the latest New York Times/Siena College poll.

Traditionally, the sitting mayor attends the memorial, but it remains unclear which of the candidates will appear at today’s ceremony.

Mamdani has become a polarizing figure in national politics. President Donald Trump recently labeled him a “communist lunatic,” while a Republican lawmaker controversially suggested he should be deported — despite Mamdani being a naturalized U.S. citizen. Reflecting on the significance of 9/11, Mamdani told The Times:

“It was a horrific day. But for many New Yorkers, it also marked the moment they were treated as ‘other,’” referring to the surge in Islamophobia that followed the attacks.

The anniversary comes at a time of growing political violence across the country. In recent months, the nation has been shaken by a series of high-profile attacks, including the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk at a university event, the murder of a Democratic state lawmaker and her husband in Minnesota, and a firebombing at the Pennsylvania governor’s residence.

Despite the rising tensions, today’s ceremonies will return to the traditions of silence, prayer, and remembrance — a somber reminder of the enduring legacy of the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil.