‘Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald’ Recognizing its 50th Anniversary
November 10 marks 50 years since the “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” the Great Lakes’ most storied maritime disaster. The S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald went down in a violent storm on…
The SS Edmund Fitzgerald as seen from the Ambassador Bridge in 1965.
Image Courtesy Detroit Historical SocietyNovember 10 marks 50 years since the "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," the Great Lakes’ most storied maritime disaster. The S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald went down in a violent storm on Lake Superior in 1975, claiming all 29 crew members aboard. This weekend events across Michigan and the Great Lakes communities are taking place to honor the crew.
The Legend Lives On: 50 Years Since the 'Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald'
This weekend, Detroit and Toledo are hosting tributes to the lost sailors. No small part of the tributes is the songwriter who ensured their memory endures: Gordon Lightfoot. His 1976 ballad, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” immortalized the tragedy. WCSX plays his song every year on November 10th to pay respect.
50th Anniversary Events
At the Detroit Historical Museum, a special exhibit and remembrance events run all weekend, featuring artifacts, photos, and stories from the Great Lakes shipping community. Meanwhile, in Toledo, Gordon Lightfoot’s daughter, Meredith Moon, will perform a tribute concert, continuing her father’s legacy. The show takes place at 7pm on November 9th.
Each year, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point holds a solemn bell-ringing ceremony. The ship’s recovered bell now tolls 30 times: 29 times for each crew member, and once more for Gordon Lightfoot, who passed away in 2023.
As Lightfoot sang in "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," “Does anyone know where the love of God goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?”
A very complete listing of all the events to honor the Edmund Fitzgerald can be found on wxyz.com.
