1917 DEATH OF COUNT VON ZEPPELIN
The fire started while the Hindenburg was descending to dock with its mooring mast
INFOGRAPHIC: ESTHER CURTIS, GETTY
When Ferdinand von Zeppelin passed away, he had no idea that 20 years later his airship business would die with him. After building the first successful rigidly framed dirigible, he established a passenger-carrying airline, and by 1914, 37,250 people had flown on over 1,600 flights without an incident. However, concerns began to be raised about the safety of these highly flammable craft and, in 1937, tragedy struck...