Today marks 24 years since the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks , when al Qaeda hijackers crashed four passenger jets into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

The attacks forever changed New York City and the world, and the heaviness of the loss has not dimmed over the years.

Every year , the city and nation pause to remember the 2,983 people killed in the 2001 attacks and in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. A solemn ceremony, including six moments of silence, was held Thursday morning at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in Lower Manhattan.

It's a day of reflection and of remembrances steeped in sorrow, as family members vow to keep their loved ones' memories alive -- fulfilling the sacred promise to never forget .

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