Thursday marks the 13th anniversary of the attack on the Word Trade Center and across the United States memorial services are taking place to commemorate the lives of those who were lost.

Beginning 8:39 a.m. a ceremony aired live on the 9/11 Memorial website. During the presentation, families stood to recite the names of loves ones lost during the attack in 2001. Families of the victims from the 1993 attack on the Trade Center were also invited to read.

A Tribute in Light has been scheduled for Thursday evening 6 p.m. at the Memorial plaza, during which a beam of light will stretch out into the sky to represent the former location of each World Trade Center tower. The scene will be open to the public until midnight so that visitors may pay tribute to the victims, as well as their families and friends.

On September 11, 2001 New York City was forever changed when the North Tower of the World Trade Center was struck by a hijacked plane at 8:46 a.m. Just 15 minutes later, a second plane struck the South Tower. Both buildings collapsed following the incident, which is considered the most significant ands devastating attack on the country since Pearl Harbor during World War II.

Later that morning the Pentagon was struck by Flight 77 in Washington D.C. and Flight 93 crashed outside Shanksville, Pa. Flight 93 is the only hijacked plane to have been successfully stopped from reaching its intended target after passengers tried to seize control of the airliner, though at the cost of their lives.

Sept. 11 is a day that has haunted the nation for 13 years, though many have strived to make the anniversary about love rather than hate, respecting the lost through moving, emotional tributes.

The National September 11 Memoriam & Museum at World Trade Center Foundation was created in 2005 with the aim of constructing a memorial site as well as education people on the events which took place.

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