In Photos: The History of the Hindenburg Disaster

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By Denise Chow
published

Full of helium

The ill-fated Hindenburg on June 22, 1936, at Lakehurst, New Jersey, after a flight from Frankfurt.

(Image credit: Keystone/Getty)

The ill-fated Hindenburg on June 22, 1936, at Lakehurst, New Jersey, after a flight from Frankfurt.

Enjoying the view

Promenade of the hydrogen-filled German airship Hindenburg (LZ-129).

(Image credit: Fox Photos/Getty)

The promenade of the hydrogen-filled German airship Hindenburg

Eyes in the sky

March 1936: Steering wheel of the hydrogen-filled German airship Hindenburg (LZ-129).

(Image credit: Fox Photos/Getty)

This photo from March 1936 shows the steering wheel of the hydrogen-filled German airship Hindenburg.

Luxury travel

This photo, circa 1937, shows the dining room of the German hydrogen filled transatlantic airship Hindenburg.

(Image credit: Fox Photos/Getty)

This photo, circa 1937, shows the dining room of the German hydrogen filled transatlantic airship Hindenburg.

Factory workers

Workers of the Zeppellin factory in Friedrichshafen in Germany.

(Image credit: mhobl/Flickr/CC BY-NC 2.0)

Workers of the Zeppellin factory in Friedrichshafen in Germany.

All aboard

Passengers aboard the Hindenburg on Aug. 11, 1936, during an Atlantic flight.

(Image credit: Fox Photos/Getty)

Passengers aboard the Hindenburg on Aug. 11, 1936, during an Atlantic flight.

Pre-flight preparations

The Hindenburg on Aug. 9, 1936, as it was taken out of its hangar at Friedrichshafen before leaving for New York.

(Image credit: Fox Photos/Getty)

The Hindenburg on Aug. 9, 1936, as it was taken out of its hangar at Friedrichshafen before leaving for New York.

Under construction

This photo from 1935 shows The Hindenburg under construction at Friedrichshafen.

(Image credit: General Photographic Agency/Getty)

This photo from 1935 shows The Hindenburg under construction at Friedrichshafen.

Future of travel?

The first flight of the airship Hindenburg, LZ 129, on March 4, 1936. A round trip to New Jersey a few months later took just over four and a half days.

(Image credit: Hulton Archive/Getty)

The first flight of the airship Hindenburg, LZ 129, on March 4, 1936. A round trip to New Jersey a few months later took just over four and a half days.

Denise Chow
Denise Chow
Live Science Contributor

Denise Chow was the assistant managing editor at Live Science before moving to NBC News as a science reporter, where she focuses on general science and climate change. Before joining the Live Science team in 2013, she spent two years as a staff writer for Space.com, writing about rocket launches and covering NASA's final three space shuttle missions. A Canadian transplant, Denise has a bachelor's degree from the University of Toronto, and a master's degree in journalism from New York University.