The Hindenburg, named after the German President Paul von Hindenburg, was built by The Zeppelin Airship Company of Germany and was one of the Graf (Count) Zeppelin airships designed by Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin. It was, and still remains, the largest aircraft ever built and did many Trans Atlantic flights to the US and Brazil carrying almost 100 people on each trip. In May 1937 it was destroyed by fire while landing at Lakehurst Air Station, in New Jersey. Thirty-six people died in the accident.

To this day the cause of the fire is not known although there are many theories about it. The original theory is that the hydrogen used to give the craft buoyancy exploded because it is such a highly flammable gas, but some believe that the hydrogen did not ignite until after the outer skin of the craft had burned as hydrogen is not flammable on it’s own and only burns when mixed with oxygen.

Sabotage is believed by some to have been the cause and some newspapers reported that a Luger pistol with one shell having been fired was found among the wreckage.

Static electricity between the craft and the ground was also thought by some to have been the cause, while others believed that the craft was struck by lightning. Another theory suggests that varnish used on the skin of the craft ignited initially and ultimately caused the hydrogen to burn.

There is pretty conclusive evidence that some form of electricity caused the ignition but it is still uncertain whether the hydrogen or the craft’s fabric covering was the initial fuel for the fire.

Herbert Morrison, a radio reporter assigned by station WLS of Chicago was sent to cover the arrival of the Hindenburg in New Jersey and his description of the disaster that went out live to the station’s listeners made him famous. His broadcast became a prototype for news broadcasting in the coming war years.

Newsreel footage and photographs of the disaster went around the world and Morrison will always be remembered for his words which included that phrase “Oh, the humanity”.

Whatever the cause, the disaster marked the end of these giant airships and, along with the arrival of passenger airplane travel, caused the downfall of the great airships known as the Graf Zeppelins.