The Hindenburg Disaster.
Here we have a photograph that has become famous in the last century as the definitive capturing the Hindenburg disaster in the full extent of its horror. The image shows the infamous airship as it is engulfed in flames and begins its infernal descent.
The Hindenburg disaster refers to an event that took place on May 6th 1937 where an enormous German airship called the LZ 129 Hindenburg was flying to Naval Air Station Lakehurst that is located in Manchester Township New Jersey. As the ship was attempting to dock, the fuel somehow ignited, causing a massive explosion in the ship’s interior. The explosion spread flames all around and inside the passenger and crew areas, making it utterly inoperable. Because of this, a crash landing was made that would kill an employee on the ground, merely trying to help with the ship’s fall.
After the airship crashed, emergency services were immediately called down to help save as many passengers as possible. There were a total of 97 people aboard the flight including passengers and crew. Of those 97, 35 perished in the flames. Including the worker on the ground who was killed, the Hindenburg disaster brought 36 fatalities with it. This was a true tragedy, one that claimed many lives, shut down the airship business and still hasn’t been completely explained. There are theories about the hull or fuel tanks being punctured to start the flames, but a concrete truth was never discovered. This image that has been used multiple times to reference the event was taken by a reporter named Sam Shere and it is often regarded as one of the most iconic photographs ever taken.
Writer / Quiz Creator
Andrew Nicholas is a passionate reader and writer on the subjects of history and mankind. He is a published author, critic, and poet who grew up in the friendly scenery of rural Ohio. He is a graduate of Wright State University and a regular student of historical curiosities.