Howard Hughes was born December 24, 1905. Both his parents died while he was in his late teens. He inherited the Hughes Tool Company after the death of his father at age 19, making him a millionaire.

In the early 1930's, he founded the Hughes Aircraft Company as a branch of the Hughes Tool Company. This company thrived over World War II, going from 4 employees to 80,000. Hughes' passion for aviation was apparent. He set and broke records, obtaining nearly fatal injuries in the process. These injuries would torment him for the rest of his lifetime.

Hughes moved to Las Vegas late 1966. During his entire stay, he refused to leave his suite. He stayed at the Desert Inn, a former hotel and casino along the Las Vegas strip. After overstaying his welcome, he was asked to leave. Hughes countered by purchasing the property, the first of many Strip resorts he would own. Each resort purchase Hughes made meant that a mobster didn't own and control business there. The mobsters' illegitimate gambling business style had impacted the Nevada Gaming Control Board so much that they made an allowance in their regulations. The Board's regulations required that the property owner, Hughes, be present in front of the Board in order to receive a gaming license. In the end, Howard Hughes left Las Vegas 4 years after he arrived.

He also bought the North Las Vegas Airport, then named Sky Haven Airport, from the City of North Las Vegas. In addition, Hughes bought the property which is now Summerlin, an expanse master-planned community. His purchases are credited for removing mobster control in Las Vegas and improving its image.

Howard Hughes died in an airplane en route to a hospital in Houston, from the Bahamas. Sadly, the blue skies he had adored so much became his deathplace. Hughes' investments and contributions have greatly influenced the development of Las Vegas and its surrounding areas. The Summerlin community has flourished, Las Vegas casinos are now visited by international tourists, and his persistence in aviation further challenged people in flight.