Courtesy of Minnesota History Center
This November marks 50 years since the sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald—one of the Great Lakes’ most enduring tragedies. Each year, Split Rock Lighthouse on Minnesota’s North Shore honors the ship’s 29 lost crew members with a solemn beacon lighting, and this year’s golden anniversary has drawn record-breaking attention. All 2,000 in-person tickets to the Nov. 10 commemoration have sold out, but Minnesotans can still take part in the remembrance through a free online livestream (beginning at 4 p.m. CST) hosted by the Minnesota Historical Society on MNHS.org.
The evening ceremony will feature the reading of the crew’s names, the tolling of a ship’s bell, and the lighting of Split Rock’s iconic beacon—a tradition started four decades ago. For those who want to continue reflecting, the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul will host a free panel discussion, “The Enduring Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” on Nov. 20. The event will explore why the story still resonates across generations and will be streamed live on the MNHS YouTube channel.
Courtesy of Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society
About the Edmund Fitzgerald
The 729-foot Edmund Fitzgerald began her final voyage on Nov. 9, 1975, departing Superior, Wisconsin, under Captain Ernest McSorley with more than 26,000 tons of taconite pellets bound for Detroit. The Arthur M. Anderson, captained by Bernie Cooper, followed about 10 to 15 miles behind as the two ships maintained radio contact. With a fierce November storm moving across Lake Superior, both captains chose a northern route along the Canadian shore for protection before turning southeast toward Whitefish Bay.
As the storm intensified, winds reached 50 knots and waves swelled to more than 15 feet. The Fitzgerald sustained damage near Caribou Island and reported a list and broken vents but continued on with pumps running. By late afternoon, seas were towering over both ships. Around 7 p.m., after the Anderson was struck by a massive wave, radar contact with the Fitzgerald vanished—marking the tragic end of her final voyage.
First mate Morgan Clark of the Anderson tracked the Fitzgerald on radar as it neared Whitefish Point, but heavy seas kept obscuring the signal. His final radio contact with the ship came around 7:10 p.m.
“Fitzgerald, this is the Anderson. Have you checked down?”
“Yes, we have.”
“Fitzgerald, we are about 10 miles behind you, and gaining about 1 1/2 miles per hour. Fitzgerald, there is a target 19 miles ahead of us. So the target would be 9 miles on ahead of you.”
“Well,” answered Captain McSorley, “Am I going to clear?”
“Yes, he is going to pass to the west of you.”
“Well, fine.”
“By the way, Fitzgerald, how are you making out with your problems?” asked Clark.
“We are holding our own.”
“Okay, fine, I’ll be talking to you later.” Clark signed off.
The radar signal, or “pip” of the Fitzgerald kept getting obscured by sea return. And around 7:15 pm, the pip was lost again, but this time, did not reappear. Clark called the Fitzgerald again at about 7:22 pm. There was no answer.
Captain Cooper contacted the other ships in the area by radio asking if anyone had seen or heard from the Fitzgerald. The weather had cleared dramatically. His written report states:
“At this time I became very concerned about the Fitzgerald – couldn’t see his lights when we should have. I then called the William Clay Ford to ask him if my phone was putting out a good signal and also if perhaps the Fitzgerald had rounded the point and was in shelter, after a negative report I called the Soo Coast Guard because I was sure something had happened to the Fitzgerald. The Coast Guard were at this time trying to locate a 16-foot boat that was overdue.”
With mounting apprehension, Captain Cooper called the Coast Guard once again, about 8:00 pm, and firmly expressed his concern for the welfare of the Fitzgerald. The Coast Guard then initiated its search for the missing ship. By that time the Anderson had reached the safety of Whitefish Bay to the relief of all aboard. But the Coast Guard called Captain Cooper back at 9:00 pm:
“Anderson, this is Group Soo. What is your present position?”
“We’re down here, about two miles off Parisienne Island right now…the wind is northwest forty to forty-five miles here in the bay.”
“Is it calming down at all, do you think?”
“In the bay it is, but I heard a couple of the salties talking up there, and they wish they hadn’t gone out.”
“Do you think there is any possibility and you could…ah…come about and go back there and do any searching?”
“Ah…God, I don’t know…ah…that…that sea out there is tremendously large. Ah…if you want me to, I can, but I’m not going to be making any time; I’ll be lucky to make two or three miles an hour going back out that way.”
“Well, you’ll have to make a decision as to whether you will be hazarding your vessel or not, but you’re probably one of the only vessels right now that can get to the scene. We’re going to try to contact those saltwater vessels and see if they can’t possibly come about and possibly come back also…things look pretty bad right now; it looks like she may have split apart at the seams like the Morrell did a few years back.”
“Well, that’s what I been thinking. But we were talking to him about seven and he said that everything was going fine. He said that he was going along like an old shoe; no problems at all.”
“Well, again, do you think you could come about and go back and have a look in the area?”
“Well, I’ll go back and take a look, but God, I’m afraid I’m going to take a hell of a beating out there… I’ll turn around and give ‘er a whirl, but God, I don’t know. I’ll give it a try.”
“That would be good.”
“Do you realize what the conditions are out there?”
No reply from the Coast Guard. Captain Cooper tries again.
“Affirmative. From what your reports are I can appreciate the conditions. Again, though, I have to leave that decision up to you as to whether it would be hazarding your vessel or not. If you think you can safely go back up to the area, I would request that you do so. But I have to leave the decision up to you.”
“I’ll give it a try, but that’s all I can do.”
The Anderson led the search for the missing Edmund Fitzgerald, braving violent seas to locate debris, including two lifeboats—but no survivors. Only one other ship, the William Clay Ford, joined the effort, while the Coast Guard launched aircraft and cutters from Duluth and beyond. Within days, sonar revealed large sections of wreckage 17 miles north of Whitefish Point.
The following spring, the Navy’s CURV III submersible confirmed the ship’s final resting place, 535 feet below Lake Superior. The Coast Guard’s 1977 report suggested the freighter likely flooded due to failed hatch covers, though many—including fellow mariners—disputed that theory. Decades later, the exact cause of the tragedy remains uncertain.
Courtesy of Duluth News Tribune
Other Ways to Commemorate the Edmund Fitzgerald
Events & Livestreams
The Gales of November Conference returns to Duluth Nov. 7-8, marking the 50th anniversary of the Edmund Fitzgerald tragedy. Hosted by the Lake Superior Marine Museum Association, the two-day event features maritime historians and experts discussing the Fitzgerald disaster, shipwreck exploration, lighthouse preservation, and Great Lakes history. While the bus tour is sold out, other conference sessions remain open to attendees, with details available through Destination Duluth.
The University of Wisconsin–Superior (in Superior, Wisconsin) will commemorate the Edmund Fitzgerald’s 50th anniversary with a special lecture by shipwreck historian Ric Mixter—one of the few people to have visited the wreck—followed by a musical performance on Saturday, Nov. 8.
The Wisconsin Marine Historical Society and the International Ship Masters’ Association–Milwaukee Lodge 6 are hosting “29 Bells: A 50th Commemoration of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald and Her Crew” on Monday, Nov. 10, from 5-8 p.m. at The Cooperage in Milwaukee. The expanded event honors the 29 men lost—seven of them from Wisconsin—and continues the tradition of remembrance with stories, tributes, and maritime community reflections.
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Edmund Fitzgerald’s sinking with a public remembrance service at Whitefish Point in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, on Monday, Nov. 10, at 2 p.m. The outdoor ceremony—held near the site where the ship went down—will include speakers and the ringing of a bell for each of the 29 crew members lost. Due to limited parking and unpredictable weather, visitors are encouraged to plan ahead. A private evening ceremony for the victims’ families will be livestreamed for public viewing via the museum’s website and social media channels. Visit the Shipwreck Coast Museum Store for books, videos, and souvenirs commemorating the Fitzgerald.
Courtesy of AP Photo
Detroit’s Mariners’ Church will host two services honoring the 50th anniversary of the Edmund Fitzgerald sinking: a Great Lakes Memorial Service on Sunday, Nov. 9 at 11 a.m. and a Special Anniversary Eucharist on Monday, Nov. 10 at 12:10 p.m., where the church bell will toll in remembrance of the lost crew and all mariners.
On Nov. 10, Detroit’s Dossin Great Lakes Museum will host the 26th Annual Lost Mariners Remembrance, marking 50 years since the Edmund Fitzgerald sank. The sold-out event features music by Lee Murdock, a wreath ceremony on the Detroit River, and a new documentary screening, concluding with a bell toll and The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Watch the livestream on the museum’s Facebook page.
The National Museum of the Great Lakes in Toledo, Ohio, will host special guided tours of the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship, Nov. 7-10, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Edmund Fitzgerald’s sinking. The 75-minute tours explore the ship’s connection to the Fitzgerald and its crew, with tickets starting at $20 and including museum admission.
TV, Music & Culture
Catch “Gales of November: Diving the Edmund Fitzgerald” on Nov. 5 at 9:30 p.m. on FOX 9, FOX LOCAL, and YouTube. The new documentary explores the wreck’s enduring mystery and legacy beneath Lake Superior’s waves.
“Shipwreck: The Mystery of the Edmund Fitzgerald” (1995) is a 46-minute documentary that combines reenactments and real diver footage to retrace the events leading up to the Edmund Fitzgerald’s mysterious sinking. Blending history with underwater exploration, it offers a haunting look at one of the Great Lakes’ most enduring maritime mysteries. Watch the full documentary on YouTube.
Gordon Lightfoot’s haunting 1976 ballad, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” transformed a Great Lakes tragedy into one of the most enduring shipwreck stories in history. Inspired by early news reports of the disaster, Lightfoot’s song honored the 29 crew members lost and ensured their legacy would live on long after the storm. Lightfoot died in 2023. Today, it remains one of the most recognized maritime tributes in the world—second only to the Titanic.
Released in early October 2025, “The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by John U. Bacon marks the 50th anniversary of the ship’s sinking with a definitive, deeply human retelling of the tragedy. Drawing on more than 100 interviews, Bacon’s book explores the Fitzgerald’s place in America’s industrial rise, the storm that claimed all 29 crew members, and the lasting impact on the families left behind—blending gripping history with heartfelt storytelling.
Michael Schumacher’s 2012 “Mighty Fitz” delivers a vivid, comprehensive retelling of the Edmund Fitzgerald’s tragic final voyage through a fierce November storm on Lake Superior. Blending gripping narrative with meticulous research, the book recounts the ship’s final hours, the frantic search that followed, and the lingering mysteries surrounding its loss.
