On this day in 1954 the groundbreaking ceremony for the Saint Lawrence Seaway was held in Massena, New York.

Officially opened on June 26, 1959, with ceremonies attended by Queen Elizabeth II and U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower. While the project involved significant construction and development, the first transit of ships through the completed waterway began on April 25, 1959, and the official opening with dignitaries took place in June.