On August 15, 1914, the Panama Canal officially opened to commercial traffic when the SS Ancon made the first official transit. The canal was built under U.S. direction after a French effort had failed. It provided a vital shortcut between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, greatly reducing travel time for ships. The project required massive excavation, disease control, and complex engineering. Control of the canal gave the United States strategic and economic advantages in world trade and naval operations. The canal’s opening is considered one of the major engineering accomplishments of the twentieth century.
