The United States is marking the seventh anniversary of the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks with a day of solemn observances.
In New York City, the names of victims are being read at the area known as "ground zero," where the two World Trade Center towers once stood. Relatives wept as they clutched photos of victims and tossed roses into a pool of water at the site.
Nearly three thousand people from more than 90 countries were killed that day after hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon and a field in the eastern state of Pennsylvania. U.S. President George Bush led a moment of silence at the White House today, Thursday at the time, 8:46 a.m. EDT, seven years ago when terrorists crashed the first of two passenger jets into the World Trade Center. The two 110-story buildings collapsed after the attacks.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg led a moment of silence in New York. Afterwards, he said lives were cut short and, in his words, "our world was broken" on that day.
Mr. Bush later dedicated a memorial to honor the 184 people who died at the Pentagon. He described the new memorial as an "everlasting tribute" to the "innocent souls" who perished there.
U.S. presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama agreed to put aside partisan campaigning today.
McCain spoke at Shanksville, Pennsylvania, the site where a hijacked plane crashed after passengers overtook the terrorists.
McCain and Obama made a joint appearance at ground zero in New York later in the day.
Earlier this week, a memorial to the victims was dedicated at Boston's Logan International Airport. The airport was the departure point of two of the hijacked flights.