On April 5, 1976, the world lost a legendary entrepreneur, investor, and aviator, Howard Hughes. He was 70 years old. Howard Hughes was born on December 24, 1905 in Houston, Texas to Howard R. Hughes Sr. and Allene Gano. He was a savvy investor who turned his inherited Hughes Tool Company into a powerful conglomerate that included Hollywood movie studios and oil fields. In addition to being a successful businessman, Hughes was an enthusiastic aviator. At the young age of 18, he obtained his pilot’s license and set a record for a transcontinental flight of 9 hours and 27 minutes in 1937. Over the course of his life, he set other records with his airplane, the H-1 Racer, that included the fastest transcontinental trip, the fastest flight around the world, and the highest altitude flight. Hughes was also a humanitarian and philanthropist who donated to hospitals, schools and the development of new technologies. His efforts were instrumental in developing the first commercial airliner and the first nuclear powered submarine. During his later years, Hughes secluded himself in hotels where he focused on his films and aviation projects. Despite his struggles with depression and powerful addictions, his legacy as a major technological innovator and bold investor will live on for generations to come.