The Hindenburg, a colossal German airship, met a tragic end on May 6th, 1937, in Manchester Township, New Jersey. Three days after it departed Frankfurt am Main, the airship, which was filled with highly flammable hydrogen, burst into flames whilst attempting a landing at Naval Air Station Lakehurst. The cause of the disaster remains debated, with theories ranging from a lightning strike to an internal electrical spark igniting a hydrogen leak. The resulting inferno consumed the airship in less than 40 seconds, claiming the lives of 36 people on board and one on the ground. The Hindenburg disaster marked the end of the era of passenger airships, a stark reminder of the dangers of hydrogen and a turning point in the history of aviation.
