The people remember - 15th September 2021

The United States remembered 9/11. The attack happened 20 years ago. There were special events at the plane crash locations.

Bells rang for each plane. Bells rang at the time each twin tower fell too. The terrorist attack killed 2,977 people.

Family members read out the people's names. This was an important moment. They never found 40 percent of the bodies. President Biden knows memories are painful.

Joe Biden: "These memorials are really important. But they're also incredibly difficult for the people who were affected by them, because it brings back the moment you got the phone call, it brings back that instant you got the news, no matter how many years go by."

Mark's friend died in the attacks. He thinks these events can help families. They need to know that we remember them.

Mark Papadimitriou: "I have a friend that passed away. His wife was pregnant. So now I know that his daughter is, you know, now 19. And that marks a lifetime already. And so many people have the same story. So many families were disrupted. And we just need to let them know that all those people are not forgotten."

George W Bush was at the crash site in Pennsylvania. He was president in 2001. He remembered the time, and he said everyone worked together then.

George W Bush: "In the weeks and months following the 9/11 attacks, I was proud to lead an amazing, resilient, united people. When it comes to the unity of America, those days seem distant from our own.

The 2001 attacks continue to kill people now. Many people have cancer or breathing problems. This is from the chemicals in the explosions. People breathed in the dangerous air. These people want help with their illnesses.