Monday, November 10, 2025, marks the fiftieth anniversary of the loss of the Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior. Though widely understood as one of the worst maritime disasters in history, it has gained unique cultural resonance after being immortalized in Gordon Lightfoot’s song, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” Today we reflect on the history of the Mighty Fitz and its crew, the final voyage, and some of the reforms that have been implemented in response to the tragedy.