It was meant to symbolize the future of luxury air travel—until it burst into flames before the world’s eyes. The Hindenburg disaster remains one of history’s most haunting aviation tragedies.

As the largest airship ever built, the LZ-129 − better known as the Hindenburg − tried to dock in Lakehurst after a trans-Atlantic flight, it burst into flames. Thirteen of its 36 passengers and 22 of ...