Society

Tribute in Light shined bright over NYC, marking 20 years since 9/11 attacks

By Eyewitness News
Saturday, September 11, 2021
The Tribute in Light shined brightly over NYC, marknig 20 years since the 9/11 terror attacks.
LOWER MANHATTAN, Manhattan -- The Tribute in Light shined once again as a memorial to the victims of the terror attacks on September 11, 2001.

'Eyewitness to 9/11: Behind the Lens' Official Trailer

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On Saturday, New Yorkers and the rest of the nation will mark 20 years since the day that forever changed our world.
The Tribute in Light was first presented six months after 9/11 and then every year thereafter, from dusk to dawn, on the night of September 11.

RELATED | Photos: Up close look at the World Trade Center's 9/11 'Tribute in Light'

It has become an iconic symbol that both honors those killed and celebrates the unbreakable spirit of New York.

The installation is assembled on the roof of the Battery Parking Garage south of the 9/11 Memorial.
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CLICK HERE for more Eyewitness News reflections, photos and stories marking the anniversary of 9/11
The twin beams reach up to four miles into the sky and are comprised of 88 7,000-watt xenon lightbulbs positioned into two 48-foot squares, echoing the shape and orientation of the Twin Towers.



The installation can also be viewed from a 60-mile radius around lower Manhattan.



September 11 still shapes American policy, politics and everyday experiences in places from airports to office buildings, even if it's less of a constant presence in the public consciousness after 20 years.
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The 9/11 commemorations are by now familiar rituals, but each year at ground zero, victims' relatives infuse the ceremony with personal messages of remembrance, inspiration and concern.
We remember all those who have died from 9/11-related illnesses from their heroic work at ground zero and those who suffer today.

RELATED | PHOTOS: 9/11 Tribute in Light through the years
The Tribute in Light, as seen from across the Hudson River, on the 16th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, Monday, Sept. 11, 2017, in Jersey Citynone
The Tribute in Light is seen in the sky above Lower Manhattan on the 16th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, Monday, Sept. 11, 2017, in New York.none
A couple embraces as the Tribute in Light is seen in the sky on the 16th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, Monday, Sept. 11, 2017, in New York.none
A couple embraces on the Brooklyn Promenade as the Tribute in Light rises above the lower Manhattan skyline Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017, in New York.none
The Tribute in Light rises above the lower Manhattan skyline, Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017, in New York.none
The Tribute in Light, a temporary memorial to those lost on 9/11, is lit for the last time on Saturday, April 13, 2002. It was on continuously for six months after the attack.none
New York Firefighters Tim Hallahan, left, and Lt. Peter White look at "Tribute in Light," Saturday, April 13, 2002.none
The Tribute in Light rises above the New York skyline, Friday, Sept. 11, 2015 in a view from Bayonne, N.J. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)none
The Tribute in Light rises above the New York skyline Friday, Sept. 11, 2015.none
The Tribute in Light rises above the New York skyline Friday, Sept. 11, 2015, in a view from Bayonne, N.J.none
The "Tribute in Light" towers above lower Manhattan during the second anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorists attacks Thursday, Sept. 11, 2003.none
Jose Martinez, left, and his brother Adonis Martinez, of Danbury, Conn., pose for a friend's snapshot below The Tribute in Light near Ground Zero on Friday, Sept. 12, 2003.none
The Tribute in Light, a temporary memorial to those lost on 9/11, is lit for the last time on Saturday, April 13, 2002. It was on continuously for six months after the attack.none
The Tribute in Light rises near Ground Zero on Sept. 12, 2003. The twin beams of light were switched on at sunset, evoking the image of the twin towers.none
A test of the Tribute in Light memorial illuminates a passing cloud above lower Manhattan Thursday, Sept. 9, 2004, in New York.none
In this Sept. 11, 2004 file photo, the Tribute in Light shines over the Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty in New York.none
'Tribute in Light' illuminates the sky over Manhattan, Monday, Sept. 11, 2006 in New York, marking the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks.none
The "Tribute in Light" marks the September 11 Anniversary in New York taken from Bayonne, N.J. on Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2007.none
A short test of the "Tribute in Light" illuminates the sky over the World Trade Center site Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2008 in New York.none
The Tribute in Light illuminates the sky over the Brooklyn Bridge and lower Manhattan Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008 in New York.none
Twin towers of light from the Tribute in Light converge over the spire of Trinity Church in Lower Manhattan in New York, Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008.none
In a photo made with a fisheye lens, the Tribute in Light rises above buildings in lower Manhattan, during a test, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2013.none
The Tribute in Light rises above the construction cranes on One World Trade Center, and the lower New York skyline, Saturday, Sept. 11, 2010..none
The Tribute in Light rises above the construction cranes on One World Trade Center, and the lower New York skyline, Saturday, Sept. 11, 2010.none
A test of the Tribute in Light rises above lower Manhattan, Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2011 in New York.none
The Tribute in Light rises above the lower Manhattan skyline and One World Trade Center, center, in a test of the memorial light display, Monday, Sept. 9, 2013 in New York.none
In this Friday, Sept. 6, 2013 photo, people in Brooklyn Bridge Park gather to watch a test of the Tribute in Light rising from the lower Manhattan skyline in New York.none
The Tribute in Light shines above the World Trade Center and the Statue of Liberty, left, Monday, Sept. 10, 2012, as seen from Bayonne, N.J.none
A test of the twin beams of the Tribute in Light intersect with still-under construction One World Trade as they rise above lower Manhattan, Monday, Sept. 9, 2013.none
The Tribute in Light shines above 1 World Trade Center, left, and 7 World Trade Center, Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2012 in New York.none
A test of the Tribute in Light shines skyward over lower Manhattan, Friday, Sept. 7, 2012 in New York.none
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