The biggest flying ship in the world — and the fire that ended it in half a minute.
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These are the new words for the Hindenburg. Match each word (1–8) to its meaning (A–H). Say your answers out loud — "I think 1 is D" — then check.
1 = D (an airship) · 2 = F (gas) · 3 = H (fire) · 4 = E (to land)
5 = A (a passenger) · 6 = B (huge) · 7 = G (luxury) · 8 = C (a disaster)
Read each part. Then try the questions from memory, and talk about the last one.
Ninety years ago, planes were small, noisy and slow. So how did rich people cross the ocean quickly? They flew in an airship — a huge aircraft that floated in the air, like a giant balloon with engines. Germany made the best airships in the world.
The most famous airship was the Hindenburg. It was finished in 1936. It was more than 240 metres long — nearly as long as the Titanic! Inside, it was like a beautiful hotel. Passengers walked and looked out of big windows. They ate good food in a real dining room. They slept in small bedrooms. The journey from Germany to America took about two and a half days, and it was very comfortable.
But there was a big problem. To fly, the airship was full of a gas called hydrogen. This gas is very light, so it lifts the ship well. But hydrogen has one danger: it burns very, very easily. A safer gas existed, but only America had it, and America did not sell it to Germany. So the beautiful Hindenburg flew full of dangerous gas.
1. Why did rich people travel by airship and not by plane?
2. What was the big danger inside the Hindenburg?
1. Planes were small, noisy and slow. The airship was big, fast and very comfortable, like a hotel.
2. It was full of hydrogen gas. Hydrogen lifts the ship well, but it burns very easily.
On 6 May 1937, the Hindenburg arrived in America, near a place called Lakehurst, in New Jersey. It was evening. There was a storm, so the ship was late. Below, a big crowd waited — reporters, cameras, and men to help the ship land. A radio reporter talked about the beautiful ship as it came down slowly.
The men on the ground pulled the ropes to bring the ship down. Then, near the back of the ship, a small flame appeared. In one second, the hydrogen caught fire. The fire moved very fast along the whole ship. The radio reporter's happy voice changed — he could not believe what he saw.
The whole airship burned in about half a minute. It was terrible. But something surprising also happened: most of the people did not die. There were 97 people on the ship, and 62 of them lived. Some jumped out; some were pulled out by the men below. Thirty-five people on the ship, and one man on the ground, lost their lives. The helpers did everything they could in those few seconds.
1. What was the weather like when the Hindenburg arrived at Lakehurst?
2. How fast did the ship burn, and how many people lived?
1. It was evening and there was a storm, so the ship arrived late. A big crowd was waiting below.
2. The ship burned in about half a minute. Of the 97 people, 62 lived (survived).
Cameras filmed the fire, and cinemas all over the world showed the film. People did not only read about the disaster — they watched it. They saw the big, beautiful ship burn, again and again. This made the Hindenburg the most famous airship disaster in history.
People asked one big question: why did it happen? Nobody found one certain answer. Most people think a small spark — maybe electricity from the storm — started a fire in the hydrogen. But everyone agreed on one thing: a ship full of hydrogen was very dangerous.
After the fire, people were afraid. Almost nobody wanted to fly in a big airship again. In a few years, the great airships stopped flying. People started to travel by plane instead. The time of the airship — beautiful, slow and full of luxury — was over, and it never came back.
1. Why did so many people around the world know about this disaster?
2. What happened to airships after the fire?
1. Cameras filmed the fire, and cinemas everywhere showed the film. People watched the disaster, not only read about it.
2. People were afraid and did not want to fly in airships. Soon the airships stopped flying, and people travelled by plane.
This story happened long ago, and it is finished. For finished actions in the past, we use the past simple.
Write the past simple form of the verb in brackets.
1. The Hindenburg (be) very big.
2. Passengers (eat) good food on the ship.
3. The ship (arrive) in America in the evening.
4. A big crowd (wait) below.
1. was (irregular: be → was)
2. ate (irregular: eat → ate)
3. arrived (regular: arrive → arrived)
4. waited (regular: wait → waited)
Complete each sentence with the past simple. Then read it out loud.
1. A small flame (appear) at the back of the ship.
2. The fire (move) very fast.
3. Most of the passengers (survive).
1. appeared (regular)
2. moved (regular)
3. survived (regular)
Fill each gap with the past simple of the verb in brackets. Read it aloud when you finish.
The Hindenburg (come) down slowly. The men (pull) the ropes. Then a flame (start) at the back, and the ship (burn) in half a minute. Most passengers (escape).
came (irregular) · pulled (regular) · started (regular) · burned / burnt (both correct) · escaped (regular)
Remember: regular verbs add -ed; irregular verbs (like come → came) you must learn.
There is a real podcast about the Hindenburg. It is for native speakers, so it is fast and quite difficult — that is normal! You do not need to understand every word.
From the Noiser podcast network. About 50 minutes. Open Spotify and search "Short History Of The Hindenburg" to find the episode.
Open on Spotify →Do all three tasks out loud. Use the timer to keep talking.
Tell the story of the Hindenburg in your own words. Use these steps to help you: a huge airship from Germany → a beautiful ship like a hotel → dangerous hydrogen gas → the arrival at Lakehurst in a storm → the fire → most people escaped → the end of the airships.
Try to use the past simple (was, came, landed, started, burned, escaped) and some key words (airship, gas, fire, land, passenger, luxury, disaster).
The Hindenburg used a dangerous gas to fly. Do you think this was a bad idea? What travel do you think is safe or dangerous today — planes, boats, cars? How do you feel when you travel?
Tell a story of your own — something that happened to you in the past. Use the past simple (went, saw, was, did…).
Not sure what to talk about? Choose one: