Watch: America Remembers 9/11 on 18th Anniversary

On the 18th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, moments of silence and tributes are taking place [...]

By Libby Birk

On the 18th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, moments of silence and tributes are taking place across the country to honor the victims and first responders. Watch in the video below.

In New York City, people have gathered for a moment of silence. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump also observed a moment of silence at the White House. Trump is scheduled to speak later today at the Pentagon.

A ceremony started at 8:40 a.m. ET Wednesday morning at the site of the World Trade Center in New York City. The National September 11 Memorial & Museum invited family members of the victims of the 2001 attack as well as a 1993 attack. The names of the almost 3,000 victims were being solemnly read by the victims' family members.

At Ground Zero, mourners had their second moment of silence at 9:03 a.m. the mark the moment the second place hit the South Tower of the World Trade Center. The first moment of silence was observed at 8:46 a.m. to mark the time that Flight 11 struck the North Tower.

Intermittent moments of silence are planned for the impact times for the planes that struck the Pentagon and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. In Shanksville, the observance will begin at 9:45 a.m. at the Flight 93 Memorial Plaza. At 10:03 a.m., the moment Flight 93 crashed, the names of the passengers and crew members will be read and the Bells of Remembrance will be rung in their memory. A wreath will then be placed at the Wall of Names at the site.

At the Pentagon Memorial, survivors and families of the 184 people who died there will mark the anniversary in a private ceremony from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Trump is scheduled to deliver remarks.

Wednesday marks the first anniversary that all schools are required by law to have a brief moment of silence to mark the anniversary. The law, signed into effect by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, is meant to "encourage dialogue and education in the classroom" and to ensure that future generations understand the 2001 terrorist attack that took the lives of 2,997 people and its place in history, according to a statement from the governor's office.

Photo credit: Mark Wilson / Staff / Getty

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