The Hindenburg Disaster
The Hindenburg disaster shows what happens when terrible ideas become reality. Engineers filled a massive airship with hydrogen, an incredibly flammable gas, then flew it over populated areas. This colossally stupid decision culminated on May 6, 1937, when a spark ignited the hydrogen as the ship approached New Jersey. The horrific blaze killed 36 people and turned reporter Herbert Morrison’s cry of “Oh, the humanity!” into an enduring symbol of technological arrogance. The catastrophe immediately ended the era of passenger airship travel as public trust in these hydrogen-filled giants disappeared alongside the smoke.
