The date September 11, 2001 is etched on to the memories of everyone of a certain age who can recall exactly where they were and what they were doing when the world’s deadliest terror attack hit the United States.

Four commercial airlines were hijacked by 19 terrorists and turned into giant missiles which struck iconic buildings in New York and Washington.

The world watched live on television as the twin towers and the Pentagon were struck while a fourth crashed in a field in Pennsylvania after courageous passengers fought back. It is believed the terrorists’ target was Washington’s Capitol Building.

The outrage claimed a total of 2,977 lives, not including the terrorists, while thousands more were injured. Long-term health effects have been established for more than 1,000 more deaths including rescue workers, after dust clouds from the collapsed buildings caused cancer due exposure to toxins at Ground Zero.

Terror group al-Qaeda was blamed and its leader Osama bin Laden was hunted while the US president George W. Bush waged war on Afghanistan. Bin Laden was finally found and killed in 2011.

For Bermuda, it proved a day never to forget, with three people from the island killed in the twin towers while aircraft were diverted to the local airport in the atrocity’s aftermath.

David Burt, the Premier, said the world witnessed “a tragedy that claimed nearly 3,000 lives and changed countless others for ever” in which Bermuda shared the grief.

“Twenty-five years later, we also remember. We, too, have never forgotten.”

Mr Burt said memories of the day remained vivid, adding: “We remember watching events unfold in disbelief. We remember calling relatives and friends in New York, waiting for word and hoping they were safe.

“Three members of our own community died that day. We call their names in remembrance: Rhondelle Tankard, Boyd Gatton and Robert Higley.

“Twenty-five years cannot erase the pain and grief of such loss, nor could it make us forget that day and how it changed the world in which we now live.”

The Premier told the families of the three that time could not mitigate the pain of loss.

“Today, Bermuda remembers with you. I also acknowledge that outside of Bermuda, there were many other families who lost loved ones on September 11, and this year, like every year, is a time to remember them as they grieve.

“Bermuda’s memorial in the Botanical Gardens contains a piece of steel recovered from the World Trade Centre. As the United States Consulate General marks the anniversary of September 11 with a memorial ceremony at the Botanical Gardens to honour those who died, my thoughts are with those who will gather in remembrance and with every family whose loss is honoured there.”

Today, The Royal Gazette will focus on a number of people directly affected as they remember the day life changed for ever, from tragedy to tougher travel security and stricter entry regulations.

• To see the Gazette’s coverage, visit the September 11 section on the website or purchase a newspaper with the special supplement