Howard Hughes, industrailist, movie producer and aviator. 

It was on this date in 1947 that one of the worlds wealthiest and most
influential aviators in history, Howard Hughes, piloted the largest
aircraft ever made. It was called the Hercules H-4 and was largely 
made of wood , thus nicknamed… “The Spruce Goose.” It’s one
and only flight lasted for about a minute for a little over a mile at
70 feet above Long Beach Harbor in California. The airplane is
now part of the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville, Or.