The Edmund Fitzgerald was the largest ship on the Great Lakes until 1975, carrying iron ore across the lakes from Cleveland to Detroit. On November 10, 1975 during a storm with large waves, the Edmund Fitzgerald broke in two near Whitefish Point, Michigan, and all 29 crew members died as it sank in 530 feet of water. The sinking had a major impact on Michigan's iron ore shipping industry and remains an iconic tragedy of the Great Lakes.