When Was the Panama Canal Completed?

The Panama Canal opened on 15 August 1914 after 10 years of construction by the United States, following a failed earlier attempt by France (1881-1889) under Ferdinand de Lesseps. The 82 km waterway cuts through the Isthmus of Panama, saving ships from the 15,000 km journey around South America via Cape Horn. Unlike the Suez Canal, Panama uses a lock system: ships are raised 26 metres to Gatun Lake through three sets of locks, cross the lake, and are lowered back to sea level. The canal was one of the largest engineering projects in history, involving the excavation of about 200 million cubic metres of earth. About 14,000 ships transit the canal annually.