Who built the Suez Canal, why is it important, and when was it built?

The Suez Canal was built in the 1860s.  It opened in 1869.

The canal was built by a company called the Suez Canal Company.  It was a company that was owned mostly by investors in France, but there was some Egyptian participation in the ownership.  The actual work was done by Egyptians, many of whom were forced to work by their government.

The canal was important because it would cut huge amounts of time off the shipment of goods from Asia to Europe.  This was important for everyone, and especially for the British because it made it easier for them to trade with their colony in India.