Hughes Aircraft - Timeline

Timeline

• 1932: Howard Hughes formed Hughes Aircraft Company as a division of Hughes Tool Company.
• 1948: Hughes formed the Aerospace Group within the company, divided into:
  • Hughes Space and Communications Group
  • Hughes Space Systems Division
• 1953: The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) was formed, and Hughes Aircraft reformed as a subsidiary of the foundation. The Internal Revenue Service unsuccessfully challenged its "charitable" status which made it tax-exempt.
• 1955: Hughes formed its helicopter division, Aircraft Division
• 1960: The first laser is produced at Hughes Research Laboratories, by Theodore Maiman
• 1961: Hughes Space and Communications Company was formed, bringing together Hughes Space and Communications Group and the Hughes Space Systems Division and Hughes Research Laboratories completed its move to Malibu.
• 1972: Hughes sold the tool division of Hughes Tool Company. His remaining interests were transferred to the newly formed holding company, the Summa Corporation. This included Toolco Aircraft and Hughes' property and other businesses.
• 1976: Toolco Aircraft became Hughes Helicopters
• 1976: Howard Hughes dies at the age of 70, leaving no will
• 1984: The Summa Corporation sold Hughes Helicopters to McDonnell Douglas for $500 million; it was soon renamed McDonnell Douglas Helicopters.
• 1984: The Delaware Court of Chancery appointed eight trustees to the Howard Hughes Medical Institute; they decide to sell Hughes Aircraft.
• 1985: The HHMI sold Hughes Aircraft to General Motors for $5.2 billion. This was merged with GM's Delco Electronics to form Hughes Electronics. This group then consisted of:
  • Delco Electronics Corporation
  • Hughes Aircraft Company
  • Hughes Space and Communications Company
  • Hughes Network Systems
  • DirecTV
• 1987: Hughes Aircraft Company acquires M/A-COM Telecommunications, to form Hughes Network Systems
• 1994: Hughes Electronics introduces DirecTV
• 1995: Hughes Space and Communications Company became the world's biggest supplier of commercial satellites
• 1995: Hughes Electronics acquires Magnavox Electronic Systems from the Carlyle Group
• 1996: Hughes Electronics and PanAmSat agree to merge their fixed satellite services into a new publicly held company, also called PanAmSat with Hughes Electronics as majority shareholder.
• 1997: GM transferred Delco Electronics from Hughes Electronics to its Delphi Automotive Systems. Delphi became independent in 1999.
• 1997: The aerospace and defense operations of Hughes Electronics (Hughes Aircraft) are merged with Raytheon; Raytheon also acquired one half of the Hughes Research Laboratories
• 2000: Hughes Space and Communications Company remained independent until 2000, when it was purchased by Boeing and became Boeing Satellite Development Center. Boeing purchased one third of the HRL Laboratories, LLC which was then co-owned by Boeing, GM and Raytheon.
• 2003: The remaining parts of Hughes Electronics: DirecTV, DirecTV Latin America, PanAmSat and Hughes Network Systems were purchased by NewsCorp and renamed The DirecTV Group.
  • Newscorp sold PanAmSat to Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR) in August 2004.
• 2004: Director uses the Hughes Aircraft stage in Playa Vista to film the motion-capture sequences in the film Aviator
  • SkyTerra Communications, Inc. completed its purchase of 100% controlling interest in Hughes Network Systems from the DirecTV Group in January 2006.