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Twelve hours was standard. Hughes did it in under eight—and he did it wearing a
1937 Event

January 19

Howard Hughes Breaks Air Speed Record: LA to NYC in 7 Hours

Twelve hours was standard. Hughes did it in under eight—and he did it wearing a silk shirt and custom leather flying gloves. The aviation maverick piloted his sleek H-1 Racer at an average speed of 322 miles per hour, shattering the transcontinental speed record and cementing his reputation as part daredevil, part engineering genius. And he wasn't even breaking a sweat. Just another day proving everyone else wrong.

January 19, 1937

89 years ago

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