In the 1930s, the fastest way to cross the Atlantic Ocean in luxury was by airship. The Hindenburg was the largest aircraft ever built - over 800 feet long, almost the length of the Titanic - and it cruised gently through the sky carrying passengers in fancy cabins, dining rooms, and even a smoking room. It made it from Germany to New Jersey in about two and a half days.
The trouble was the gas inside. Hindenburg was filled with 7 million cubic feet of hydrogen - a gas that gives lots of lift but burns explosively. Germany wanted to use safer helium, but the United States, which had nearly all the world’s helium, refused to sell it. So they used hydrogen and hoped for the best.
On May 6, 1937, while landing in New Jersey, Hindenburg burst into flames and crashed to the ground in 34 seconds. Reporters and cameras caught the whole disaster live. Of 97 people on board, 36 died. Public trust in giant airships collapsed almost overnight, and the era of zeppelin travel ended.
