Brooklyn Bridge with the 'Tribute in Light' installation for 9/11, New York
© ANDREY DENISYUK/Getty Image
A 'Tribute in Light'. Patriot Day
On September 11, Patriot Day is observed as a national day of service and remembrance to honor the 2,977 people who died in the attacks on the United States in 2001. Congress established the day in 2002 with bipartisan support, and ever since, US government buildings, both domestic and abroad, fly the American flag at half-staff. Many citizens and businesses do the same in remembrance. Patriot Day also honors the hard work and sacrifice of the first responders who bravely put themselves in harm's way in the hours and days after the attacks.
Today's image is of the Brooklyn Bridge with 'Tribute in Light' in the background, a display of 88 searchlights arranged in two columns that represent the Twin Towers that fell. Originally a temporary display, the annual installation illuminates the sky with columns of light from dusk until dawn. It is a stark reminder of the lives that were tragically lost in Manhattan, Pennsylvania, and at the Pentagon.