ORLANDO, Fla. — Wednesday marks three years since a gunman murdered 49 people, injured 53 others and traumatized hundreds more at Pulse nightclub in Orlando.
Survivors, victims' relatives, first responders and residents will gather Wednesday for a series of events to celebrate the lives of those who died in the June 12, 2016, mass shooting.
[ Read: Lawmakers propose declaring Pulse site national memorial ]
Tolling of the bells
Bells were tolled 49 times, beginning at noon, to commemorate the life of each person who died in the shootings at the gay nightclub.
St. James Catholic Cathedral and First United Methodist Church of Orlando in downtown Orlando were among the more than 600 churches worldwide that were expected to partake in the observance.
Remembrance ceremony
The third annual remembrance ceremony was held at the shuttered club from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The event, which wa open to the public, was emceed by Channel 9 anchors Jorge Estevez and Nancy Alvarez and was streamed live on wftv.com, the WFTV news app and Facebook Live.
Who we lost
Click here to learn more about the 49 victims in English, and click here to learn more about them in Spanish.
[ Read: Orlando Health gives $1M for Pulse memorial, museum and scholarship ]
Road closures
West Esther Street will be closed between South Lucerne Terrace and South Orange Avenue from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The right southbound lane of South Orange Avenue between West Kaley and West Harding streets will also be closed during those hours.
DOWNLOAD: Free WFTV News & Weather Apps