The south tower of the World Trade Center explodes as the hijacked United Airlines Flight 175 from Boston crashes into the building September 11, 2001 in New York City.

Spencer Platt/Getty Images

leven years after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people at the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania, Americans marked the anniversary in a respectful but subdued fashion. This year marks the first time that elected officials are not speaking at the World Trade Center memorial site, and fewer families are attending than in years past. "After the ninth anniversary, that next day, you started building up to the tenth year," said Jane Pollicino, who lost her husband in the attacks. "This feels a lot different, in that regard. It's another anniversary that we can commemorate in a calmer way, without that 10-year pressure."