This Day in History: , The Hindenburg Disaster.br May 6, 1937.br 36 passengers and crew br members were killed when br the Hindenburg exploded as it touched br its mooring mast in Lakehurst, NJ.br The luxury passenger zeppelin br had left Frankfurt, Germany, br three days earlier.br Constructed in Nazi Germany, br the 804 foot-long Hindenburg br was the largest dirigible ever built.br The zeppelin was lifted br by the highly flammable br gas, hydrogen.br It is thought the cause br of the explosion was a spark br that ignited the dirigible's hydrogen core.br Radio announcer br Herb Morrison witnessed br the disaster live, famously br declaring, "Oh the humanity!".br His commentary became br part of America's first br coast-to-coast radio news broadcast.