On November 10, 1975, the 729-foot freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank in a violent storm on Lake Superior, about 17 miles from Whitefish Point, Michigan. She had left Superior, Wisconsin the day before with a load of taconite. Her last radio message, around 7:10 that evening, was "We are holding our own." Minutes later she was gone, with all 29 of her crew.
Half a century later, she is still the most famous shipwreck on the Great Lakes. Here is why the story has never faded, and where you can join the remembrance this year.
Why we still remember her
Part of it is the mystery. There was no distress call, none of the crew were ever recovered, and exactly why she went down has never been settled. Part of it is Gordon Lightfoot, whose 1976 song "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" carried the story far beyond the Great Lakes and is still how many people first hear of her.
But for people who live around these lakes, it is more personal. The Fitzgerald is a reminder that Lake Superior is not a lake in any ordinary sense. It is an inland sea, cold and deep, with November storms that can match anything on the ocean. Every sailor, surfer, paddler, and shoreline walker up here learns to respect that.
Where to remember the Fitzgerald on November 10
Split Rock Lighthouse beacon lighting (Two Harbors, Minnesota)
For more than 40 years, Split Rock Lighthouse on Minnesota's North Shore has lit its beacon every November 10 in memory of the Fitzgerald and all lives lost on the Great Lakes. In 2026 the anniversary falls on a Tuesday. A memorial ceremony is planned for late afternoon, including the reading of the 29 crew members' names to the tolling of a ship's bell, followed by the beacon lighting into the evening. Tickets are required, and the ceremony is also livestreamed. Check the Minnesota Historical Society's beacon lighting page for this year's times and tickets.
Standing on that cliff as the light comes on over a dark November lake is something every Lake Superior fan should experience at least once. Dress warm.
Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum (Whitefish Point, Michigan)
The Fitzgerald's bell, raised from the wreck in 1995, is displayed at the museum near where she went down. Each November 10 the museum holds a memorial where the bell is rung in honor of the crew. Details for this year are posted by the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum.
From home
Wherever you are on the Great Lakes, take a minute on November 10 to look out at the water and remember the 29 crew members of the Edmund Fitzgerald, and everyone the lakes have taken.
Keep exploring Lake Superior
- Learn more about the lake on our Lake Superior page.
- Explore another piece of Great Lakes maritime history: the forgotten U.S. Lighthouse Service Buoy Depot at the end of Park Point.
- Bring a little of the North Shore home with our Split Rock Lighthouse Pennant, or stay warm for the beacon lighting in the Lake Superior Great Lakes USA Hoodie.
Cover photo: the SS Edmund Fitzgerald underway. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, public domain.