Tom Smith: Flames Over Chicago: A Crash That Shocked a City

May 29, 2026 | 1:00 pm 2001 West Algonquin Road, Algonquin, IL 60102

On a summer day in 1919, horrified crowds watched a Goodyear blimp burst into flames and plunge onto a busy street, turning a routine flight into a fiery disaster, colliding with rooftops and igniting buildings below. This presentation brings the forgotten tragedy vividly back to life, exploring the people, headlines, and haunting aftermath of one of the most dramatic-and little known-disasters in Chicago history. History lovers and Chicago aficionados won’t want to miss it!