The Panama Canal marks its official centennial on August 15. Over 1 million vessels crossed through the Canal since 1914, and around 40 ships pass through every day. Get more numbers on the Canal in an infographic, and learn about its history in a timeline below.

Brendan O'Boyle contributed to this report.

Timeline

A hundred years ago, ships traveling from New York to San Francisco were forced to cover at least 14,000 miles, traveling around the tip of South America. The opening of the Panama Canal on August 15, 1914, reduced that trip by more than half, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Learn more about the Canal's history.