AKA Ferdinand Adolf August Heinrich von Zeppelin

Born: 8-Jul-1838
Birthplace: Konstanz, Baden, Germany
Died: 8-Mar-1917
Location of death: Charlottenburg, Germany
Cause of death: unspecified
Remains: Buried, Pragfriedhof, Stuttgart, Germany

Gender: Male
Race or Ethnicity: White
Occupation: Business

Nationality: Germany
Executive summary: Builder of rigid airships

Military service: Union Army (US Civil War, observer); German Armies (Seven Weeks' War)

As an observer in America, Zeppelin met a balloonist working in the US Civil War. He began serious design of airships around 1890, and launched his first dirigible on 2nd July 1900, 420 feet in length, with mixed results. By 1906 his ships were able to stay airborne for a full twenty-four hours. Another ship of his crashed in 1915, killing 28 but attracting a considerable amount of attention and funding. During WWI, over 100 dirigibles were employed in service. This type of airship remained in service until 1937 with the spectacular crash of the Hindenburg in Lakehurst, New Jersey.

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