The Hindenburg Disaster at Lakehurst in 1937

Historical context

The Hindenburg Disaster at Lakehurst, 1937. On 6 May 1937, the German passenger airship LZ 129 Hindenburg caught fire and was destroyed after being struck by lightning whilst attempting to dock at the Naval Air Station Lakehurst in Manchester Township, New Jersey, United States. Thirty-six people lost their lives in this disaster – 13 passengers, 22 crew members and one ground crew member – and it is one of the most famous aviation disasters in history. The Hindenburg disaster received extensive media coverage, and the dramatic footage and photographs, as well as Herbert Morrison’s famous radio broadcast (‘Oh, the humanity!’), left a lasting impression on the public. The disaster marked the end of the era of giant rigid airships carrying passengers, as hydrogen was clearly not safe enough to be used as a lifting gas.