New York City will pause this week to remember the 9/11 terror attacks that forever altered the city and the country.

The annual reading of names and moments of silence will be held Thursday at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in Lower Manhattan.

It's a somber ceremony when New Yorkers and the nation vow to "never forget" what happened on that day.

What happened on 9/11

New York City firefighters work at the World Trade Center after two hijacked planes crashed into the Twin Towers September 11, 2001. Ron Agam / Getty Images

The shorthand "9/11" stands for September 11th, when terrorist carried out coordinated attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and on the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia.

Nineteen terrorists from the Islamist extremist group al Qaeda hijac

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