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April 27, 1932: Heidenburg Disaster as reported by Herbert Morrison

May 6, 1937: Unforgetable moment on this day was the explotion of the derigible Heidenburg at Lakhurst, NJ. That moment was reported by NBC's broadcaster, Herbert Morrison and became the first recorded coast-to-coast broadcast.

The Hindenburg disaster was happen on Thursday, May 6, 1937. That was when the German passenger airship LZ 129 Hindenburg blown up during its attempt to dock with its mooring mast at the Lakehurst Naval Air Station. Lakehurst Naval Air Station was located adjacent to the borough of Lakehurst, New Jersey. 97 people on board became the victim of the disaster, there were 35 fatalities as well as one death among the ground crew.

The disaster became spectacular newsreel coverage. Herbert Morrison made radio record of  eyewitness report from the landing field, which was broadcast the next day on NBC. The actual cause of the fire remains unknown, although a variety of hypotheses have been put forward for both the cause of ignition and the initial fuel for the ensuing fire. The incident shattered public confidence in the giant, passenger-carrying rigid airship and marked the end of the airship era.

This recording is available from the Great Moments in History Collection

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