Hindenburg Disaster at Lakehurst, New Jersey, USA
“Oh, the Humanity!” The infamous 1937 broadcast of the Hindenburg disaster captured the helplessness of the spectators as the airship burst into flames during landing. The Hindenburg was Nazi Germany’s pride of their air fleet, a new innovation in travel technology. Instead, it was a giant balloon of combustible gas, with disastrous results. As flames engulfed the zeppelin, passengers and crew came spilling out of its windows, trying to escape the inferno inside.
Grounds crews desperately tried to help the people as they it the ground. 13 passengers, 22 crew, and one of the New Jersey grounds crew lost their lives. It ended the airship’s popularity as a new travel method. The site is now a memorial, with a bronze marker embedded in the ground. Hanger #1, where the Hindenburg was supposed to dock, is a Registered National Historic Landmark.
