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This timeline is taken from the Computing Cases website developed and maintained by Dr. Charles Huff at St. Olaf College. Computing Cases is funded by the National Science Foundation, NSF DUE-9972280 and DUE 9980768.
| 1979 | Ruth Ibarra begins working for Hughes Aircraft company's Microelectronic Circuit Division (Hughes MCD) in Newport Beach, CA |
| 1981 | Margaret Goodearl begins working for Hughes MCD as a supervisor for assembly on the hybrid production floor and as a supervisor in the hybrid engineering lab |
| 1984 | Ibarra becomes supervisor for hybrid quality assurance |
| 1985 | Goodearl asks Ibarra to look at errors in paperwork, Ibarra brings errors to the attention of her supervisors and was told to keep quiet. This begins time period where Goodearl/Ibarra become aware of problems in hybrid chip testing and paperwork. |
| 1986 | Goodearl becomes supervisor for seals processing in the environmental testing area. |
| 1986 | False Claims Act (31 U.S. C 3729-3733) becomes False Claims Reform Act of 1986 making it stronger and easier to apply. |
| Oct. 1986 | Goodearl/Ibarra report problems ot Hughes management, and, after the problems were not fixed, Goodearl/Ibarra reported the allegations of faulty testing to the United States Department of Defense. |
| Jan 9, 1987 | Earliest date that Hughes may have stopped neglecting environmental screening tests. |
| 1988 | Ibarra leaves Hughes feeling that her job had been stripped of all real responsibility. |
| March 1989 | Goodearl is laid off from Hughes. |
| 1995 | Goodearl and her husband are divorced. |
| 1990-1996 | United States of America, ex rel. Taxpayers Against Fraud, Ruth Aldred (was Ibarra), and Margaret Goodearl v. Hughes Aircraft Company, Inc. |
| 1990 | Goodearl files wrongful discharge suit against Hughes and a number of individual managers, which was eventually dropped in favor of the civil suit. |
| May 29, 1990 | Thinking the government investigation was taking too much time, Goodearl/Aldred file civil suit against Hughes under False Claims Reform Act of 1986 with the help of Taxpayers Against Fraud and Washington law firm Phillips and Cohen. |
| December 1992 | Under provisions of the FCA, the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Division takes over the civil case. |
| Sep. 10, 1996 | Hughes found guilty in civil trial. Pays U.S. Government 4,050,00 dollars and each relator 891,000 dollars plus a separate payment of 450,000 dollars to cover attorney's fees, costs, and expenses. |
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