Panama Canal Opens – Anniversary

Aug 15, 1914. After 10 years of construction and much multination diplomacy, the Panama Canal opened for operation. A self-propelled crane boat made the first passage through the canal, a 50-mile waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, on Jan 7, 1914. The first ocean steamer, the SS Ancon, passed through Aug 3, 1914, and the canal officially opened Aug 15, 1914.