On November 2, 1947, Howard Hughes flew the H-4 Hercules, a huge flying boat nicknamed the Spruce Goose, on its first and only flight, History.com and the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum say. The flight took place in Long Beach Harbor in California.

The plane was made mostly of laminated birch and spruce wood, History.com says. Its wings stretched longer than a football field, and it was designed to carry more than 700 soldiers. It was nearly six times bigger than any other aircraft of its time, the Smithsonian says.

Hughes was already a famous pilot and designer, History.com says. He founded Hughes Aircraft in 1932 and set a record for flying across the country in 1937. In 1938, he flew around the world in three days, 19 hours and 14 minutes.

The plane was first the idea of the businessman Henry Kaiser, who later dropped out of the project, History.com says. It cost $23 million and was not finished until 1946, after World War II was over. Congress wanted proof that the costly plane could fly.

So Hughes took it out over the water without telling anyone it would fly, History.com says. He lifted it about 70 feet into the air and flew it for about a mile before landing.

The plane never went into production, History.com says. Critics said its wooden frame was too weak. Hughes kept it ready to fly until his death in 1976, at a cost of about $1 million a year. Today it is on display at a museum in McMinnville, Oregon.

What we know: The Spruce Goose made its only flight on November 2, 1947.
What we don't: Nothing major is in dispute about this date in history.