Sixty-five years ago, Ellis Island closed its doors. Located in New York Harbor near the Statue of Liberty, it was the first stop for millions of immigrants who came to the United States seeking a better life. Many came in search of work. Others were fleeing cruel treatment in their home countries.

Ellis Island opened in 1892 during a huge wave of immigration to the U.S. At the time, most new immigrants were from Eastern and Southern Europe. After long journeys by ship across the Atlantic Ocean, newcomers waited in line for hours on Ellis Island to have their papers checked and to be examined by doctors for diseases. Some people were sent back home. But most were allowed to stay. 

More than 12 million immigrants had been processed at Ellis Island by the time it closed in 1954. It’s estimated that about 40 percent of U.S. citizens today have at least one relative who came through the famous immigration station.