Edmund Fitzgerald 50th Anniversary Ceremony in Michigan

This November marks 50 years since the Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior, no doubt, the most well-known shipwreck in Great Lakes history. Of course, we have Gordon Lightfoot to thank for that.

Edmund Fitzgerald 50th Anniversary Ceremony Details

According to MLive, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society will hold two ceremonies on Nov. 10 at Whitefish Point, just miles from where the Mighty Fitz was later found in two pieces.

The public ceremony is set for 2 p.m. outdoors. Organizers say there won’t be tents or seating because the weather in November can get pretty nasty at the Point. Parking is also limited, so expect to park along the road and walk in.

The second ceremony at 7 p.m. is reserved for the families of the 29 men lost. That service will not be open to the public, but it will be livestreamed on the Shipwreck Museum’s website and social media pages.

History of the Edmund Fitzgerald Shipwreck in Michigan

The Edmund Fitzgerald was once the biggest freighter on the Great Lakes. On Nov. 9, 1975, she left Wisconsin loaded with over 26,000 tons of iron ore headed for Detroit’s Zug Island. By the next night, she was gone. A brutal Lake Superior storm swallowed the ship, and when the wreck was found in 530 feet of water, it was split in two with all 29 men lost.

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Today, the Shipwreck Museum keeps the memory alive. The most powerful piece on display is the Fitzgerald’s 200-pound bronze bell, which was pulled from the wreck in 1995. It now stands as a permanent tribute to the crew who never made it home.

The video below explains why the bodies of the men lost were never recovered.

Draining Lake Superior to Reveal Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

Seeing the wreck of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald with any clarity is almost impossible in the cloudy waters of Lake Superior. Blue Star Line has used the latest digital imagery to pull the plug on Michigan's largest lake, to give us a one-of-a-kind view of our state's most legendary sunken ship.

Gallery Credit: Scott Clow

Adella Shores: Century Old Shipwreck Discovered in Lake Superior

The Adella Shores disappeared on May 1, 1909, during a gale in Michigan's Lake Superior near Whitefish Point. Over 100 years after the ship 'Went Missing,' the wreckage of the 195-foot wooden steamer has been found 650 feet below the icy waters of Lake Superior. Here's a look at the Adella Shores today, courtesy of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum.

Gallery Credit: Scott Clow