Short answers, pulled from the story.
Francesco Lana de Terzi published the description in 1670. The Jesuit Father proposed a craft supported by four copper spheres from which air was evacuated, though external pressure would cause them to collapse.
Bartolomeu de Gusmão demonstrated the Passarola hot air balloon before the Portuguese court on the 8th of August 1709. King John V and future Pope Innocent XIII witnessed the event at the Casa da Índia in Lisbon.
The Hindenburg burst into flames and crashed minutes before landing at Lakehurst New Jersey on the 6th of May 1937. Thirty-five people died including thirteen passengers and twenty-two aircrew members along with one American ground-crewman.
One hundred fifty-four airships were built for the U.S. Navy between 1942 and 1945. This total included 133 K-class ships plus ten L-class seven G-class and four M-class vessels used for patrol and convoy escort duties.
The U.S. Army awarded a $517 million contract to Northrop Grumman and Hybrid Air Vehicles in 2010. The project was cancelled in February 2012 due to schedule delays budget overruns and the withdrawal from Afghanistan.