The SS Edmund Fitzgerald, once the largest ship on North America's Great Lakes, tragically sank during a fierce storm on Lake Superior in November 1975. This video explores the ship's impressive history, details of its fateful final voyage and the legendary wreck, as well as how the world commemorates the 50th anniversary of one of maritime's most haunting disasters in 2025.
As the 50th anniversary of the Edmund Fitzgerald sinking approaches, people across the Great Lakes region will gather to commemorate the occasion and remember the 29 men lost to Lake Superior on a stormy November night in 1975.
Several formal ceremonies will mark 50 years since that fateful day, Nov. 10, 1975, when "The Fitz" sank in Lake Superior, honoring the victims with wreaths and tolling bells, and keeping alive the memory of the shipwreck.
Interest in the public commemorations is high ahead of the anniversary, with many events already sold out or nearly booked, organizers of some events say.
In Michigan, tributes will take place across the state, tracing the freighter's intended route.
In the Upper Peninsula, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society will conduct public and private memorials at Whitefish Point in Paradise, Michigan, on Nov. 10, near where the Fitzgerald went down.
In Detroit, the ship's final destination, the Mariners' Church of Detroit will continue its annual tradition of ringing its church bell in honor of the victims on Nov. 10, and will offer commemorative services in the days leading up to the anniversary.
The Detroit Historical Society is hosting a series of tribute events Nov. 7-10 at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle in Detroit, including a brunch reflecting the ship's menu and culminating in a wreath ceremony along the Detroit River to honor the victims.
The University of Detroit Mercy School of Law is hosting a special law review symposium at its downtown Detroit campus Nov. 10, followed by a lunch reception with a guest speaker.
Commemorations will extend beyond Michigan to the broader Great Lakes region as well.
The Minnesota Historical Society is hosting a Memorial Beacon Lighting at Split Rock Lighthouse in Two Harbors, Minnesota, along the western shores of Lake Superior, on Nov. 10, with a ceremony to feature a bell tolling and reading of victims' names.
In Ohio, the home state of nearly half the Fitzgerald victims, the National Museum of the Great Lakes in Toledo will host a series of events Nov. 7-10 to mark the 50th anniversary. The lineup will include a concert by Meredith Moon, singer Gordon Lightfoot's daughter, a book signing and memorial ceremony.
In the decades since the tragedy, the wreck has become a Great Lakes legend, immortalized in Lightfoot's iconic 1976 song, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald."
While many of the events are already sold out or limited to private attendance, several are planning livestreams so the public can join in digitally.
Here's what to know ahead of the Edmund Fitzgerald shipwreck's 50th anniversary.
What happened to the Edmund Fitzgerald?
The Edmund Fitzgerald sank on Nov. 10, 1975, not far from Whitefish Point, during a fierce November storm on Lake Superior. The wreck claimed the lives of all 29 crew members.
What was the Edmund Fitzgerald?
The Edmund Fitzgerald was a 729-foot-long ship launched in River Rouge, Michigan, in 1958, according to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. The vessel transported bulk cargo -- it was hauling taconite pellets to Zug Island when it sank -- throughout the Great Lakes region.
UP shipwreck society to host private ceremony, public service
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society will host public and private memorials to mark the shipwreck's 50th anniversary Nov. 10 at Whitefish Point in Paradise.
A public remembrance will take place at 2 p.m. outside, underneath the Whitefish Point lighthouse. There will not be seating or a tent. Parking is limited, Corey Adkins, the society's director, said. There will be a short program of speakers, a bell will be rung for each of the 29 lost mariners and Lightfoot's song will play.
"This is a very solemn memorial; it's not a party," Adkins said. "I wish more people would think of it that way."
A private ceremony for family members of the 29 victims will take place at 7 p.m. inside the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point. The event will be livestreamed via the museum website and social media, and the Whitefish Township Community Center will air the livestream for those who want to gather in person.
"We have a lot of family members coming up to mourn their lost ones," Adkins said. "For some of them, it still hurts quite a bit, even after 50 years."
John U. Bacon, the author of "The Gales of November," will speak at the private memorial, alongside Mike Fornes from The Gordon Lightfoot Tribute Band.
Detroit Mariners Church to ring bells in victims' honor
The Mariners' Church of Detroit will commemorate the 50th anniversary with special services and an evening tribute event in early November.
The church will host a special evening tribute at 6 p.m. Nov. 7 featuring Fornes performing "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," and sharing its background and his relationships with victims' families, according to organizers. Tickets are for sale online at $10.
The annual Great Lakes memorial service will take place at the church at 11 a.m. Nov. 9, and include a tribute for the shipwreck's 50th anniversary, along with the symbolic tolling of the church bell in honor of the victims, an annual tradition.
The bell will ring again Nov. 10 during the special anniversary eucharist service at 12:10 p.m. at the church, on the 50th anniversary date, the church said.
Ohio Great Lakes museum to memorialize Fitzgerald tragedy
The National Museum of the Great Lakes in Toledo, Ohio, will host a series of events Nov. 7-10 to mark the anniversary.
A Fitzgerald beer launch and honorary dinner will take place at Quenched & Tempered Brewery in Toledo, Ohio, from 3-9 p.m. Nov. 7, featuring the ship's last meal, live music from 7-9 p.m. and locally brewed beer in the evening, the museum said.
A book signing of the 50th anniversary edition of "The Legend Lives On: S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald" will take place from 2-3 p.m. Nov. 8 at the museum, with maritime photojournalist and historian Christopher Winters, who co-authored the book with Bruce Lynn, executive director of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. The event is included with museum admission.
Singer-songwriter Meredith Moon will perform at the Valentine Theater in Toledo at 7 p.m. Nov. 9. Moon will perform "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" and discuss the impact of her late father's iconic song. Tickets are $41 and for sale online.
During the weekend, The Lathrop Company and The Collaborative will offer guided tours on the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship, recounting the Fitzgerald shipwreck. Tickets are $20 for museum members and $40 for non-members and can be purchased online.
The museum will show "A Good Ship and Crew Well Seasoned: The Fitzgerald and Her Legacy," a documentary covering forgotten aspects of the Fitzgerald and its crew every hour from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 10 in the Great Lakes Community Education Center. The film is included with museum admission.
The museum's tributes will close with a sold out guest panel and memorial ceremony starting at 6 p.m. Nov. 10 at the museum.
Commemorate Great Lakes tragedy with Detroit historians
The Detroit Historical Society has a lineup of events planned for the weekend leading up to the 50th anniversary.
"It's important for people to learn about this history -- there's a lot of it. And Detroit played a huge role in the maritime history of the state and in the whole country," Society spokesperson Rebecca Salminen-Witt said.
A book talk with Thomas Nelson, the author of "Wrecked: the Edmund Fitzgerald and the Sinking of the American Economy" will take place at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Nov. 7, according to the historical society. Members can register for the event for free, and non-members can register for $5.
On Nov. 8, a pop-up exhibit by Victoria Stewart, assistant director of the Humanities Center at Wayne State University, will debut at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum, to be open for drop-in tours throughout the day. The Livonia Amateur Radio Club will host its annual live broadcast later on Nov. 8, discussing the Fitzgerald's final radio communications.
The Society will host an Edmund Fitzgerald Brunch at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 9 featuring a historically accurate menu inspired by the ship's cuisine, according to the group. The Society will premiere its documentary about the shipwreck during the brunch and chef Catherine Schmuck will talk about life as a chef at sea. Tickets are $75 and can be purchased online or at the door.
Following the brunch, the museum will open to the public at 1 p.m. Nov. 9, with general admission $5 for non-members. Films related to the Fitzgerald will be available for the public to watch at Deroy Hall inside the museum.
Edmund Fitzgerald-themed merchandise will be available for purchase at the museum Nov. 8, the Society said. During the weekend, hands-on crafts and activities will be available throughout the museum.
On Nov. 10, the Society will host the 26th annual Lost Mariners' Remembrance Ceremony starting at 6 p.m. with a lantern vigil at the bow anchor of the Edmund Fitzgerald outside the museum. The ceremony will feature singer Lee Murdock and end with a wreath ceremony, each wreath representing one of the victims, per the society. An honor guard will release the wreaths into the Detroit River, U.S. and Canadian commercial and governmental boats participating.
The museum will again show the society's documentary following the main ceremonies the evening of Nov. 10. The society's Fitzgerald commemorations will close with a ceremonial bell ringing while "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" plays.
Tickets have sold out, but the ceremony will be livestreamed on the Dossin Great Lakes Musuem's Facebook page.
Minnesota historians to honor Fitzgerald victims
The Minnesota Historical Society will host an Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Beacon Lighting at Split Rock Lighthouse in Two Harbors, Minnesota, on Nov. 10.
The event is from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with the lighthouse, fog signal building and visitor center open to the public, offering guided tours and a brief film on the shipwreck, the group said.
The memorial ceremony will begin at 4 p.m., the lighthouse temporarily closing as a ship's bell tolls while the victims' names are read aloud, the Navy Hymn recited and, following the ceremony, a symbolic lighting of the lighthouse beacon. The lighthouse tower will then reopen until 6 p.m.
Organizers advise attendees to dress for seasonal weather and bring a flashlight or headlamp, the Society said.
While the event is sold out, the ceremony will be livestreamed on the Split Rock Lighthouse's Facebook page and the Minnesota Historical Society's YouTube channel.
Detroit Mercy Law to review shipwreck's legal impact
The University of Detroit Mercy School of Law will host a special law review symposium on the Fitzgerald shipwreck's 50th anniversary addressing the legal aspect of fatal shipwrecks.
From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 10 at the law school campus in downtown Detroit, the event will feature panel discussions on legal topics, attendance of the special anniversary eucharist service at the Mariners' Church of Detroit and a lunch reception with a guest speaker, the law school said.
You can book your spot to the free event online.
The Detroit Free Press contributed.