Today is the 45th anniversary of the famous Edmund Fitzgerald shipwreck. It is believed to be the largest ship to go down in Great Lakes history, via the National Weather Service in Marquette.

The ship was carrying a load of iron ore/tachonite pellets over to a mill in Detroit when it encountered fierce weather that produced storm-force winds that reached near 60 knots, along with waves that reached up to between 20-25 feet.

All 29 officers and crew members led by Captain Ernest M. McSorley on board were lost.

Several years later when they were attempting to locate the wreckage, it is discovered that the ship had been broken into two sections; and via the Michigan Sea Grant Home website, it still sits at the bottom of the lake at 530 feet deep.

To help remember those who have lost, the Edmund Fitzgerald’s bell was emerged from the lake back in July 1995. It has been restored as a centerpiece of the 29 members who have lost their lives on that night.

The shipwreck also inspired Canadian folk singer Gordon Lightfoot to write his 1976 hit, ‘The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.”

“It’s a folk song,” Lightfoot said via MLive.com. “But it’s a true story that we all know well in these parts of Michigan.”

There will be a virtual service that will be held at the Marquette Maritime Museum tonight starting at 6:30 pm for the tolling of the bell to remember each life that was lost. After the tolling, a concert will be held featuring historical/fictional songs about sailing itself.

You can find the event link from WLUC TV6 by clicking here.

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