Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's two-term presidency will end officially in early August when the victor of Friday's election takes office, but many of his pronouncements over the last eight years will surely linger in memories of Iranians and world citizens alike.

Here's a look back at some of Ahmadinejad's most memorable statements and appearances.

Questioning the Holocaust.

Ahmadinejad has called the Holocaust a myth numerous times, but in 2009, representatives of several nations walked out of the United Nations' General Assembly because of his remarks: "They (the Western powers) launched the myth of the Holocaust. They lied, they put on a show and then they support the Jews."

Earlier, in October 2006, NBC's Brian Williams interviewed Ahmadinejad and asked about some of his statements. The Iranian president said he wanted to use a "scientific approach" when analyzing the logistics of the Holocaust.

There are no gay people in Iran.

After a speech at Columbia University in September 2007, Ahmadinejad took questions from the crowd. One audience member asked why Iran executes gay citizens. He responded: “In Iran, we don't have homosexuals, like in your country. We don't have that in our country. In Iran, we do not have this phenomenon. I don't know who's told you that we have it."

Israel will be eliminated.

Ahmadinejad frequently talks about how Israel should be eliminated or "wiped off the map."

At a 2006 conference held in Iran in support of Palestinians he said: "The existence of the Zionist regime is tantamount to an imposition of an unending and unrestrained threat so that none of the nations and Islamic countries of the region and beyond can feel secure from its threat."

Iranian women should marry young.

In 2004, Iran’s parliament changed the legal age of "acceptable marriage" from nine to 14, Reuters reported. This was widely accepted as an improvement to the former policy, and President Ahmadinejad’s got even more specific on his own recommendations.

"The best age for marriage is between 16 to 18 for girls and 19 to 21 for boys," he said.

Americans created HIV to loot African nations.

Ahmadinejad questioned why African countries suffer from so many deadly diseases. His conclusion? "It is obvious that the African countries must be plundered of their wealth and resources. The major powers and despots are behind the development of these diseases so they could then sell their drugs and medical equipment to the poor countries."

The reasons for 9/11.

In 2011, at perhaps his most noted United Nations appearance, Ahmadinejad said “the mysterious September 11 incident” was used as a precursor to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"By using their imperialistic media network which is under the influence of colonialism they threaten anyone who questions the Holocaust and the September 11 event with sanctions and military actions," he said at the meeting.

About 30 U.N. members, including those from the U.S., European Union, New Zealand, Australia, and Somalia, walked out after his remarks.

He even earned a parody.

And, of course, who could forget Saturday Night Live’s tribute to Ahmadinejad in Andy Samberg’s digital short “Iran So Far” featuring Maroon 5's Adam Levine?

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A 250-pound chunk of an airplane wing that is believed to be part of a 9/11 jetliner was hoisted out of an alley near the World Trade Center on Wednesday where it was found last week and taken into police custody.

A dozen police officers worked for two hours using ropes and a hoist to lift the 5-foot-long piece of debris from the 18-inch-wide alley. They then wheeled it onto the street and loaded it into a pickup truck to take it to the NYPD property clerk's office in Brooklyn.

Deputy Chief William Aubrey said the National September 11 Memorial & Museum could eventually take possession of the part. He described the removal as eerie and emotional.

REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

New York Police remove a piece of plane believed to be connected to the 9/11 terrorist attacks from an alley in downtown Manhattan.

"It's a piece of history," he said. "We tried to preserve it as best we could."

The part was removed after forensic authorities sifted the soil around it for human remains on Tuesday. The medical examiner's office said no potential human remains were found.

The airplane debris, identified as a piece of a 767 wing, was found wedged in the alley last week by surveyors hired by the property owner, as first reported by NBC 4 New York. The alley is between the rear of 50 Murray St. and back of 51 Park Place, the site where a mosque and community center has been proposed three blocks from Ground Zero.

Police say they have not determined whether the part came from American Airlines flight 11, which hit the north tower at 8:46 a.m., or United flight 175, which hit the south tower at 9:03 a.m. All of the other plane parts found in the immediate area were from flight 175.

Workers for the New York City medical examiner's office have begun sifting soil for possible human remains at a site near the World Trade Center where a chunk of airplane debris believed to have come from one of the 9/11 hijacked jetliners was found.

The aircraft part has been identified as a piece from a 767 wing, officials said Monday. NBC 4 New York, which first reported the finding in an alley near ground zero last week, has also learned the answer to the mystery of a rope that was found intertwined in the part — according to a law enforcement official, a detective who responded to the original call about the part last week tried to move it with a rope.

Authorities on Friday had said the rope might have indicated the part was lowered into the alley, but have since interviewed everyone who had contact with the part last week and have now answered that question. The official tells NBC 4 New York that the detective found the rope nearby and was trying to move the part to find a serial number or other identifying mark.

The NYPD also said Monday that a Boeing technician has confirmed that the 5-foot part is a trailing edge flap actuation support structure.

"It is believed to be from one of the two aircraft destroyed on Sept. 11, 2001, but it could not be determined which one," NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said.

On Sept. 11, American Airlines flight 11 hit the north tower at 8:46 a.m., and United flight 175 hit the south tower at 9:03 a.m. A FEMA graphic below shows that all the other plane parts in the immediate area were from flight 175.

Police and officials from the city medical examiner's office were on scene Monday preparing to sift the soil under the part for lost human remains. Officials said the part will be removed later in the week when that process is complete.

The part was found wedged between two buildings in a very narrow alley only about 18 inches wide between the rear of 50 Murray St. and back of 51 Park Place, the site where a mosque and community center has been proposed three blocks from ground zero.

The part bears a "Boeing" stamp, followed by a series of numbers.

The NYPD said the landing gear was found after surveyors hired by the property owner inspecting the rear of 51 Park Place called police on Wednesday. 

Most of the rubble from the 9/11 attack was cleared from the 16-acre site by the spring of 2002. Other debris, including human remains, has been found scattered outside the site, including on a rooftop and in a manhole, in years since.

A chunk of airplane debris found near the World Trade Center site that is believed to have come from one of the jetliners hijacked in the 9/11 attacks has been identified as a piece from a 767 wing, officials said Monday.

NBC 4 New York, which first reported the finding in an alley near ground zero last week, has also learned the answer to the mystery of a rope that was found intertwined in the part -- according to a law enforcement official, a detective who responded to the original call about the part last week tried to move it with a rope.

Authorities on Friday said the rope might have indicated the part was lowered into the alley but have since interviewed everyone who had contact with the part last week and have answered that question. The official told NBC 4 New York that the detective found the rope nearby and was trying to move the part to find a serial number or other identifying mark.

The NYPD also said Monday that a Boeing technician has confirmed that the 5-foot part is a trailing edge flap actuation support structure.

"It is believed to be from one of the two aircraft destroyed on Sept. 11, 2001, but it could not be determined which one," NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said.

On Sept. 11, American Airlines Flight 11 hit the north tower at 8:46 a.m., and United Flight 175 hit the south tower at 9:03 a.m.

Police and officials from the city medical examiner's office were on scene Monday preparing to sift the soil under the part for lost human remains. Officials said the part will be removed later in the week when that process is complete.

The part was found wedged between two buildings in an alley only about 18 inches wide between the rear of 50 Murray St. and the back of 51 Park Place, the site where a mosque and community center have been proposed three blocks from ground zero.

The part bears a "Boeing" stamp, followed by a series of numbers.

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly visited the alley Friday evening and viewed the debris from about 30 feet away. 

"It's a manifestation of a horrific terrorist act a block and a half away from where we stand," he said. "It brings back terrible memories to anyone who was here or who was involved in that event, and obviously I think the families could very well be impacted by this finding."

The NYPD said the part was found after surveyors hired by the property owner inspecting the rear of 51 Park Place called police on Wednesday.

The rubble from the 9/11 attack was cleared from the 16-acre site by the spring of 2002. Other debris, including human remains, has been found scattered outside the site, including on a rooftop and in a manhole, in years since.

A 5-foot-long chunk of airplane debris found near the World Trade Center site is believed to be a piece of landing gear from one of the planes that hit the towers more than 11 years ago, NBC 4 New York first reported.

Police confirmed Friday that the part was found wedged between two buildings in a very narrow alley only about 18 inches wide between the rear of 50 Murray St. and back of 51 Park Place, the site where a mosque and community center has been proposed three blocks from ground zero.

See original report at NBCNewYork.com

The part bears a "Boeing" stamp, followed by a series of numbers, as seen in an exclusive photo obtained by NBC 4 New York. 

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly visited the alley Friday evening and viewed the debris from about 30 feet away. 

"It brings back terrible memories to anyone who's here, and obviously I think the families could very well be impacted by this finding," he said. 

Kelly described the piece as being about 5 feet by 4 feet and around 17 inches high, lying in a "very, very narrow, confined area." 

"It's difficult to get in there and see," he said. 

NYPD

The narrow alley in lower Manhattan where debris that might be pieces of landing gear from one of the commercial airliners destroyed on Sept. 11, 2001 was found.

He said there was rope intertwined in part of the gear, and there were no marks on the buildings indicating the piece hit the walls on the way down.

"It would have had to fall down at a certain angle," said Kelly.

Asked whether he was surprised to see such a large plane part anchored in such a tight area, Kelly said: "If you see how confined this space is, and you realize the chaos that existed down here on this street, it's not surprising. It's very, very confined. No cleanup went on in this 18-inch space between these two buildings." 

The NYPD said the landing gear was found after surveyors hired by the property owner inspecting the rear of 51 Park Place called police on Wednesday.

Police spokesman Paul Browne said the NYPD has secured the location "as it would a crime scene," and investigators are photographing the scene and restricting access until the medical examiner completes a health and safety evaluation.

Officials said the soil below the piece of debris could also be searched for remains. 

Police officials say the part could be difficult to remove, and may require demolition work that would destroy the two surrounding buildings. Officials are expected to be back at the scene on Monday to see if it can be removed.

"It really is a historical artifact," Kelly said.

On Sept. 11, American Airlines flight 11 hit the north tower at 8:46 a.m., and United flight 175 hit the south tower at 9:03 a.m.

The rubble from the 9/11 attack was cleared from the 16-acre site by the spring of 2002. Other debris, including human remains, has been found scattered outside the site, including on a rooftop and in a manhole, in years since.

A Boeing representative declined comment.

NBC New York

The name Boeing and a serial number is visible on a piece of the debris.

This story was originally published on Fri Apr 26, 2013 4:43 PM EDT

Visitors to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum must now pay a $2 service fee to reserve passes online or by phone.

The fee went into effect last month, although there is no charge for admission to the memorial on the World Trade Center site. There's also no charge for same-day passes distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Family members of some 9/11 victims say the fee violates the memorial's mission.

"They're making money off the people that died. It's disgusting," Jim Riches, a retired FDNY deputy chief who lost his firefighter son, told the New York Post.

Memorial President Joe Daniels issued a statement Sunday saying that, "like other similar institutions, in order to help support the operational needs of the 9/11 Memorial we have implemented a service fee, solely for advance reservations."

The memorial's website says the reservation system is temporary until certain construction projects are finished. Tax-funded grants have paid for about $300 million worth of construction, and more than $400 million came from private donations.

The memorial opened in 2011, attracting about 7 million visitors so far to its two reflecting pools with waterfalls that outline the footprints of the fallen towers.

The foundation that runs the memorial estimates that once the project is complete, the memorial and museum will together cost $60 million a year to operate.

The museum is still under construction after an interruption involving a funding fight between the foundation and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which owns the 16-acre trade center site. Officials have said that the failure to open the museum on time has thrown off the foundation's financial planning.

Visitors to the exhibit space will see portraits of the nearly 3,000 9/11 victims, hear oral histories and view artifacts such as a staircase World Trade Center workers used to escape.

The Associated Press

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PhotoBlog:360-degree-view of National 9/11 Memorial at dusk

NEW YORK -- Two fragments that could be human remains were found on the first day of sifting debris from construction sites around the World Trade Center site in a renewed effort to find 9/11 victims, officials said Tuesday.

The two pieces were found Monday in the first day of a 10-week sifting operation. The city has collected about 60 dump truck loads of debris from construction areas around the trade center site over the past two and a half years that is now being examined for remains. 

The debris was collected from the World Financial Center, West Street and a lot near Liberty Street since the last sifting operation in mid-2010.

Slideshow: Marking the 11th anniversary of 9/11

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Ceremonies at World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, Pa. mark 11 years since the attacks.

Launch slideshow

The material amounts to 590 cubic yards -- 38 from the WTC, 13 from the western edge of the southbound lanes of West Street and 539 from the Liberty Street area, where four pieces of possible human remains have already been found.

More news from NBCNewYork.com

Any human remains will be analyzed by the medical examiner's office for possible matches to 9/11 victims. Of the 2,750 people killed at the trade center, 1,634 have had remains identified.

By NBCNewYork.com

Columbia University says it's reviewing a science class in which a professor stripped to his underwear and showed 9/11 video footage during a lecture on quantum mechanics.

The Frontiers of Science class on Monday morning with Professor Emlyn Hughes also included two other participants dressed in black, one of whom used a sword to destroy a stuffed animal.

Video of the event was posted to Bwog, the online home of Columbia's monthly undergraduate magazine.

It starts with the professor stripping with his back to the students as music plays and an image of a skull is projected on a screen. Later, two stuffed animals are placed on stools, one of which is stabbed by a person with a sword. In the background, a video shows the fall of the World Trade Center and an image of Osama bin Laden.

A female student watching Hughes could be heard repeating, "What is happening?" as the performance went on.

It ended with the professor returning to the stage.

"In order to learn quantum mechanics, you have to strip to your raw, erase all the garbage from your brain and start over again," Hughes said.

The professor didn't respond to an email from The Associated Press seeking comment.

In a statement, the university said, "Universities are committed to maintaining a climate of academic freedom, in which the faculty members are given the widest possible latitude in their teaching and scholarship. However, the freedoms traditionally accorded the faculty carry corresponding responsibilities."

It added, "While one must exercise caution in judging excerpts from a lecture or short presentations from an entire course outside of their full context, the appropriate academic administrators are currently reviewing the facts of this particular presentation in quantum mechanics."

MIAMI -- The chief prosecutor for the Guantanamo war crimes tribunal recommended on Wednesday that the Pentagon drop a conspiracy charge against five prisoners accused of plotting the September 11 attacks on the United States in 2001.

The prosecutor, Brigadier General Mark Martins, expressed doubts that the conspiracy charge would withstand legal appeal.

If that charge is dropped, the defendants would still face seven other charges in the tribunal at the Guantanamo Bay U.S. Naval Base in Cuba, including charges of murdering 2,976 people in the attacks, carried out by al-Qaida operatives using hijacked planes.

They could still be executed if convicted of planning and executing the attacks that propelled the United States into an ongoing global war against al-Qaida and its affiliates.

The defendants include the accused mastermind of the September 11 attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who is alleged to have been al-Qaida's operations chief.

Defense lawyers had long argued that conspiracy was not recognized as a war crime when the attacks occurred in 2001. The defendants are being tried under a law passed by the U.S. Congress in 2006 and revised in 2009, which designated conspiracy and providing material support for terrorism as war crimes.

In October, a U.S. appeals court in Washington struck down the material support conviction of deceased al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden's driver, former Guantanamo prisoner Salim Hamdan, on grounds that the charge could not be applied retroactively to events that occurred in 2001 and earlier.

A pending appeal on behalf of another Guantanamo convict, al-Qaida videographer Ali Hamza al Bahlul, was expected to bring a similar ruling on the conspiracy charge.

The Obama administration on Wednesday indicated it would fight to uphold Bahlul's conviction on that charge, a decision that could eventually put the case before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Martins said dropping the conspiracy charge from the 9/11 case "would remove an issue that could otherwise generate uncertainty and delay resulting from prolonged litigation in the ongoing capital prosecution."

He made the request to the Pentagon appointee overseeing the Guantanamo prosecutions, retired Vice Admiral Bruce MacDonald.

"There is a clear path forward for legally sustainable charges," Martins said in a news release. "The remaining charges are well-established violations of the law of war and among the gravest forms of crime recognized by all civilized peoples."

The defendants are accused of recruiting, training and funding the hijackers who slammed commercial jetliners into the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Slideshow: Life goes on in Guantanamo

John Moore / Getty Images

President Obama's one-year deadline to close the facility has long passed as shutting it down has proven complicated and controversial.

Launch slideshow

They were captured in 2002 and 2003 and held in secret CIA prisons before being sent to a detention camp at Guantanamo in 2006. Efforts to prosecute them have moved in fits and starts amid controversy over the fairness of the tribunals set up to try non-U.S. citizens outside the regular court system.

The five men are scheduled to appear before a military judge on January 27 for the next pre-trial hearing at Guantanamo.

Mohammed and his nephew, defendant Ali Abdul Aziz Ali, are Pakistani citizens. The other defendants are Yemeni citizens Walid bin Attash and Ramzi Binalshibh, and Saudi captive Mustafa al Hawsawi.

The remaining charges against them are attacking civilians and civilian objects, murder in violation of the law of war, destruction of property in violation of the law of war, hijacking aircraft, intentionally causing serious bodily injury, and terrorism.

Martins said that dropping the conspiracy charge now "would reduce the potential risks in the prosecution of the 9/11 attacks and allow the case to move forward without unnecessary delay."

Only seven cases have been completed in the Guantanamo court and four of them involved only charges of conspiracy and material support.

Related stories:
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9/11 mastermind, alleged accomplices return to Guantanamo court
Guantanamo detainee found dead; Navy investigating