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Families of the five people killed in the Westminster attack are reading out tributes to their loved ones at the start of the inquest into the killings.
The relatives had been invited to write "pen portraits" telling of their lives.
The coroner, Judge Mark Lucraft, said "the lives of many were torn apart by high and terrible drama" on that day.
Four people were run down and killed by Khalid Masood on Westminster Bridge, and a policeman was stabbed outside the Palace of Westminster on 22 March 2017.
The inquest at the Old Bailey is expected to last up to five weeks.
A separate inquest into the death of Masood will take place shortly after.
A minute's silence was held in court one, where members of the victims' families embraced one another before the inquest got under way.
Judge Lucraft, the chief coroner of England and Wales, said he hoped the process "will give some comfort to the families of the deceased".
But he warned the court that footage that will be shown during the inquest would be "graphic and shocking".
The first "pen portrait" that was heard was that of American victim Kurt Cochran. His sister-in-law Angela Stoll also read out a tribute on behalf of Mr Cochran's wife Melissa.
She said: "I was so lucky to have had 25 wonderful years with the man of my dreams. I cherish every single memory we made."
The statement added that no words could bring "Kurt back or anyone else who has died senselessly in such cowardly attacks on humanity".
Who were the victims?
Kurt Cochran, 54, from Utah, was visiting London with his wife Melissa. The court heard they were walking south across Westminster Bridge when both were struck by Masood's vehicle. Melissa survived the attack.
Retired window cleaner Leslie Rhodes, 75, from Clapham, south London, was in the area that day for a hospital appointment, before being caught up in the attack. Mr Rhodes's niece Amanda said he liked fishing on Clapham Common, watching cricket, and listening to the band Queen.
Aysha Frade, 43, a British woman of Spanish heritage worked nearby. The mother-of-two was thrown under the wheels of a bus during the attack.
Romanian interior designer Andreea Cristea, 31, was visiting London with her boyfriend. She was thrown into the River Thames and died later from her injuries. The first day of the inquest marks what would have been her 33rd birthday.
An audio recording prepared by Ms Cristea's family said she was "very fond of travelling", and "the pain we felt and still feel now cannot by expressed in words".
PC Keith Palmer, 48, was on duty outside Parliament when he was attacked by Masood.
In tears, Ms Frade's sister Michelle said: "She will never be able to smile again or see her daughters grow up."
Her husband John said "her spirit lives on in the eyes of her children".
PC Palmer's sister Angela said: "The best day of his life was when his daughter was born. They were inseparable."
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick is also attending the first day of the inquest.
The first witness will be the senior detective who led the police investigation.
The coroner is expected to examine Masood's background, police records, and look into the fact that he briefly featured in MI5 investigations in 2009 and 2010.
He will also look at why the protection of pedestrians on Westminster Bridge was not increased after the fatal vehicle attacks in Nice and Berlin in 2016, and how well PC Keith Palmer was protected - by his body armour and by armed officers serving in Westminster.
The court will be shown video footage of Masood hiring a car, buying knives and carrying out reconnaissance, as well as the attack itself.
Experts are expected to be called, including a psychologist, who has also been asked to prepare a "psychological autopsy" on Masood.
The attack in central London last year lasted 82 seconds.
In that time, 52-year-old Masood mounted the pavement in a rented Hyundai Tucson, drove into pedestrians, and crashed the car into railings outside the Houses of Parliament.
Mother-of-two Aysha Frade, 44, US tourist Kurt Cochran, 54, and retired window cleaner Leslie Rhodes, 75, died after being hit on the bridge.
Romanian tourist Andreea Cristea was knocked into the Thames from the bridge. She died just over two weeks later.
After crashing, Masood got out of the car, ran around the fence and entered the Palace of Westminster's Carriage Gate to continue his attack.
He then fatally stabbed PC Palmer, 48, who was unarmed.
Masood was shot dead by plain-clothed armed officers at 14:41 GMT.