Howard Hughes was an American aerospace engineer, businessman, filmmaker, investor, philanthropist, and pilot. He was born on December 24, 1905, in Houston, Texas, and died on April 5, 1976, at the age of 70. After years of mental and physical decline, Hughes died of kidney failure while en route from his penthouse in Acapulco to Methodist Hospital in Houston. His body was taken to the morgue, and his death was confirmed by Dr. Joseph Jachimczyk. Hughes was a highly successful businessman and entrepreneur who was best known during his lifetime as one of the most influential and richest people in the world. He first became prominent as a film producer, and then as an important figure in the aviation industry. During his final years, Hughes extended his financial empire to include several major businesses in Las Vegas, such as real estate, hotels, casinos, and media outlets. He is largely credited with transforming Vegas into a more refined cosmopolitan city.