On This Day: Thirty-six die in Hindenburg explosion

Thirty-six people died On This Day in 1937 when the Hindenburg exploded upon arriving in New Jersey. The Hindenburg, a German airship, had already made several successful ocean crossings and was a symbol of national pride for Germany’s Nazi government. This time, tragically, the airship exploded as she arrived in Lakehurst, New Jersey.

It was determined that the Captain – Max Pruss – came into dock too fast and had to quickly order a reverse engine thrust. A gas leak was noticed and within minutes, the tail exploded. Flames shot out both upwards and down to the ground.

Photo:

Wikipedia

Source:

“This Day in History: Hindenburg explodes in New Jersey” History.com

On This Day is a prompt I started to further explore historical events.

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