The Panama Canal officially opened to ocean-going traffic in 1914.
The canal links the Atlantic and Pacific oceans across the Isthmus of Panama. Its system of locks raises ships to Gatun Lake and then lowers them again, allowing vessels to cross the continental divide without sailing around Cape Horn. The canal's first official transit took place on 15 August 1914, when the cargo and passenger ship SS Ancon crossed it.
A French company began an earlier construction effort in the 1880s, but disease, engineering problems, and financial collapse halted that project. The United States resumed construction after Panama separated from Colombia in 1903 and completed the canal under American control.
The United States transferred control to Panama under the Torrijos–Carter Treaties. Panama assumed full control on 31 December 1999. An expansion project opened in 2016, adding a larger set of locks for New Panamax ships.