Hindenburg Disaster: Historical Airship Tragedy & Facts - Learn About the 1937 Catastrophe for History Enthusiasts & Educators

A routine landing in New Jersey turns into disaster as the airship Hindenburg explodes and burns to the ground, May 6, 1937. New York Times headlines the next day declared, "Hindenburg Burns in Lakehurst Crash" and " Ship Falls Ablaze; Great Dirigible Bursts into Flames as It Is About to Land." The original caption for this photo said, "The blazing airliner as she settled slowly to the ground."

The German passenger airship caught fire and was destroyed during its attempt to dock at the naval air station in Lakehurst, N.J. On board were 97 people; 36 died.

"Airship Like a Giant Torch on Darkening Jersey Field" was the headline for an article by Craig Thompson of The Times. He set the scene, writing, "The Hindenburg, giant silver liner of the air, suddenly became a torch above the naval air station here tonight. What began as a routine landing of the transatlantic airship ended in a holocaust.

"So suddenly that it left spectators on the verge of hysteria, for some time afterward, the ship burst into flame. Someone in the ground crew yelled, 'Run for your lives!' and the crew did. The stern of the ship settled and the photographers, squinting through the view finders of their cameras, ran toward the ship."