DENVER — History Colorado is preparing to open a new exhibit to commemorate the victims of United Flight 629, the first-ever bombing of a U.S. commercial airplane.
The exhibit will run for one year and aims to shed light on a largely forgotten tragedy.
On Nov. 1, 1955, United Flight 629 exploded over beet fields in Weld County, minutes after departing from Stapleton Airport. All 44 people on board were killed.
Investigations revealed that a Denver man planted 25 sticks of dynamite in his mother's luggage to collect life insurance money. The incident marked a grim milestone in U.S. history and led to sweeping changes in aviation security and federal legislation.
The exhibit will showcase personal artifacts from the passengers, including items from Marion Pierce Hobgood. His watch, cufflinks, and military camera from World War II will be displayed to "humanize these names that often only appear on a list," said Jeremy Morton, an exhibition developer and historian at History Colorado.
"In a way, those belongings will represent all of the victims of Flight 629," Morton said. "These were people with complicated, nuanced lives and dreams that were cut too short."
Hobgood's daughter, Marian Poeppelmeyer, expressed pride in her father's items being included in the exhibit.
“I know the display is going to be awesome. I know that it's going to be meaningful, and I hope it’ll leave people with hope that they can move beyond tragedy,” she said.
Despite its historical significance, the story of United Flight 629 is largely unknown to most Coloradans and Americans. The exhibition aims to change that by not only recounting the events of that fateful day but also focusing on the lives lost and the community’s resilience.
“It was totally buried because it was so traumatic on the community, and no one really wanted to talk about it,” Poeppelmeyer explained. “It changed the way the FBI did forensics, it changed the aviation industry, and it changed the court system.”
"The Bombing of United 629" will open at the History Colorado Center on March 21 and run through Feb. 8, 2026. Learn more about the exhibit through this link.
- Watch our Denver7 special report on the United Flight 629 bombing through this link or in the video player below
Efforts are underway to construct a memorial to the victims of United Flight 629. If you'd like to donate, visit Denver7 gives and select "Help Build United Flight 629 Memorial" from the drop-down menu. You can also use the donation form below.