On May 20, 1936, the world was awed by the Hindenburg. The German dirigible successfully crossed the Atlantic Ocean from Europe to the United States in 78 hours and 27 minutes, one of 17 trans-Atlantic flights this flagship of the Zeppelin fleet made in its first year of operation.
Slightly less than one year later, on May 6, 1937, the world watched in horror as the Hindenburg caught fire, leading to the death of 35 people on the airship and one person on the ground in New Jersey. Most died due to the flames, but a few died by jumping from the airship while it still hovered above ground. Most survivors from the dirigible were seriously injured; there’d been 36 passengers on the airship, 13 of whom died. Of the 61 crew members on board, 22 perished.
Here’s a look back at the Hindenburg’s May 20, 1936 arrival in North America, along with a clipping from a feature called The H Files, compiled by long-time Herald researcher/librarian Norma Marr and originally published in May 1998.