The Edmund Fitzgerald sinking: Remembering the Great Lakes shipwreck 50 years later

MPR News with Angela Davis · Nov 10, 2025 · 47m

In a storm that blew hurricane force winds on Nov. 10, 1975, the Edmund Fitzgerald — a massive ore carrier longer than two football fields — disappeared into the dark, frigid waters of Lake Superior. All 29 crew members were lost.

Fifty years later, the sinking of the Fitzgerald remains one of the most haunting and mysterious maritime disasters in American history. MPR News guest host Dan Kraker talks with a Great Lakes historian about the ship's final, fateful voyage and why the tragedy holds meaning for many Minnesotans.

Guest:

Frederick Stonehouse is a Great Lakes historian, lecturer and…