United States 5-cent coin with the image on the coin of the airship Hindenburg.
The LZ 129 Hindenburg was a German zeppelin airship destroyed by fire while landing in New Jersey on May 6, 1937. The accident resulted in the death of 36 people (about one third of the people on board). It was widely covered by the media at the time and spelled the end of airships as a means of transportation.
On May 6, 1937, after crossing the Atlantic, the Hindenburg approached the mooring base at Lakehurst Naval Air Station (New Jersey), after waiting several hours for stormy weather to allow docking maneuvers.
At 19:25, while the Hindenburg had already cast off the moorings and was approaching the tower, a flash of St. Telmo fire, which are extensive, unarmed sparks of static electricity (there was a thunderstorm and the air was electrically charged), was observed astern. Suddenly, the top of the stern caught fire, spreading almost instantly throughout the airship as the structure slowly fell on passengers jumping from a height of 50 feet and sailors assisting in the maneuvers. It was completely destroyed in less than 40 seconds and its skeleton remained on the ground for a long time until it was sold for scrap.
