General view of Zeppelin, in flight, over Lake Constance, 1900

On 2 July 1900 Zeppelin LZ 1 made its first flight from its floating hangar on Lake Constance. More flights were made in October before the airship was scrapped.

Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin was considered the father of the rigid airship. His experiments led to the German fleet of airships which attacked Britain during the First World War. Such was his fame that all rigid airships were called Zeppelins.