UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT
                       Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
                       The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

         Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): May 17, 2005


                       NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

         DELAWARE                    1-6453             95-2095071
         --------                    ------             ----------
         (State of Incorporation)    (Commission        (I.R.S. Employer
                                     File Number)       Identification Number)


                    2900 SEMICONDUCTOR DRIVE, P.O. BOX 58090
                       SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA 95052-8090
                       ----------------------------------
                    (Address of Principal Executive Offices)

                                 (408) 721-5000

              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)


Check  the  appropriate  box  below  if the  Form  8-K  filing  is  intended  to
simultaneously  satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the
following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):


[ ] Written communication  pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR
230.425)

[ ] Soliciting  material  pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
240.14a-12)

[ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange
Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2b)

[ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange
Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))



NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION

Table of Contents


                                                                            Page
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Section 8 - Other Events
------------------------

Item 8.01       Other Events                                                3

Section 9 - Financial Statements and Exhibits
---------------------------------------------

Item 9.01       Financial Statements and Exhibits                           3

Signature                                                                   4

Exhibits:
  99.1     News release dated May 17, 2005



NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION

Item 8.01       OTHER EVENTS

     On May 17, 2005, National  Semiconductor  Corporation announced that it has
signed a definitive agreement to sell its cordless business unit to HgCapital, a
private  investment  group based in London,  U.K. A copy of the news  release is
attached as Exhibit 99.1.

The  information  contained  in  Exhibit  99.1 shall not be deemed  "filed"  for
purposes of Section 18 of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, as amended,  nor
shall it be deemed  incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended.
 
Item 9.01       FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

        (c ) Exhibits
             --------

Exhibit No.     Description of Exhibit
-----------     ----------------------

   99.1         News release dated May 17, 2005 issued by National Semiconductor
                Corporation*

*This  exhibit is intended to be furnished  and shall not be deemed  "filed" for
purposes of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.




                                   SIGNATURES

Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of  1934,  the
registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                      NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION

 

Dated:  May 17, 2005                  //S// Robert E.  DeBarr
                                      -----------------------
                                      Robert E.  DeBarr
                                      Controller
                                      Signing on behalf of the registrant and
                                      as principal accounting officer



National Sells Cordless Business                                    Exhibit 99.1

News Media:                              Financial:
Jeff Weir                                Jennifer Stratiff
National Semiconductor                   National Semiconductor
(408) 721-5199 or (408) 242-4827         (408) 721-5007
jeff.weir@nsc.com                        invest.group@nsc.com

National  Semiconductor to Sell Cordless  Business Unit to HgCapital,  a Private
Investment Group Based in London

SANTA  CLARA,  CALIF.,  May  17,  2005  -  National  Semiconductor   Corporation
(NYSE:NSM) today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to sell the
company's  cordless business unit to HgCapital,  a private equity investor based
in London, UK. The sale of this unit is consistent with National's ongoing focus
on core analog businesses.

According  to  terms  of the  agreement,  HgCapital  will  acquire  intellectual
property,  assets  and  approximately  70  engineers,  all of whom are  based at
National's cordless business unit in  's-Hertogenbosch  and its design center in
Hengelo, The Netherlands.

National's  design team in  's-Hertogenbosch  creates system  products  targeted
primarily  for the Digital  Cordless  Telephony  (DCT)  market.  These  products
include baseband and radio transceivers for cordless telephones and basestations
as  well as  cordless  voice  modules.  The  cordless  business  unit  currently
represents approximately 5 percent of National's quarterly revenues.

"This  transaction is in line with our ongoing  efforts to focus  investments on
National's  higher-margin  products in the standard  linear analog market," said
Brian L. Halla,  National's  chairman,  president and CEO. "This sale will allow
the cordless team to pursue their own business  objectives and  opportunities as
an independent company."

The sale is expected to close  during the first  quarter of fiscal  2006,  which
begins May 30, 2005. National will continue to provide manufacturing,  sales and
infrastructure  support  during a  transition  period  in order  to  maintain  a
continuous supply for customers.



"We are very optimistic  about this new company because we have some of the most
talented  engineers in Europe and a strong  international  customer  base," said
Alex  Shivananda  at  HgCapital.  "We will work with National to ensure a smooth
transition for National's customers in the cordless market."

National's  fourth quarter  fiscal 2005  financial  press release and conference
call are  scheduled  for June 9, 2005.  At that time the  company  will  discuss
financial  results and forward  outlook,  including  the impact from the sale of
this business.

Special Note
This release contains forward-looking  statements dependent on a number of risks
and  uncertainties  pursuant  to the  safe  harbor  provisions  of  the  Private
Securities  Litigation  Reform Act of 1995.  These factors include,  but are not
restricted to, new orders received and shipped during the quarter, the degree of
factory utilization, the sale of inventories at existing prices, and the ramp up
of  recently  introduced  products.  Other risk  factors  are  included  in the
company's  10-K for the year ended May 30, 2004 (see  Outlook  and Risk  Factors
sections of  Management's  Discussion  and Analysis of Financial  Conditions and
Results of Operations) and the 10-Q for the quarter ended February 27, 2005.

About National Semiconductor
National  Semiconductor,  the industry's  premier analog  company,  creates high
performance  analog devices and  subsystems.  National's  leading-edge  products
include  power  management  circuits,  display  drivers,  audio and  operational
amplifiers,  communication  interface  products and data  conversion  solutions.
National's key markets  include  wireless  handsets,  displays and laptops.  The
company's  analog  products are also  optimized for numerous  applications  in a
variety of electronics markets, including medical,  automotive,  industrial, and
test  and  measurement.  Headquartered  in  Santa  Clara,  California,  National
reported  sales of $1.98  billion for fiscal  2004,  which  ended May 30,  2004.
Additional company and product information is available at www.national.com.

About HgCapital
HgCapital is a  sector-focused  investor in the European  private equity market,
primarily targeting the UK, Ireland,  Germany and the Benelux region. It focuses
on companies with enterprise values up to 400 million euros.



HgCapital invests in six sectors: consumer,  healthcare,  industrials,  leisure,
media and technology.  HgCapital also invests in renewable energy projects. Each
sector is served by a dedicated  team of investors.  The firm applies its sector
research and  experience,  together with ample human and financial  capital,  to
access and grow businesses on behalf of its clients.

HgCapital is the leading  mid-market  technology  buy-out investor in the UK and
one of the top two in Europe. Its other technology  investments include the MBOs
of Iris  Software and  Xyratex,  which  completed an IPO on NASDAQ,  nine months
after  HgCapital's  investment,  and the  public to  private  buy-out of Rolfe &
Nolan, which trebled profits,  its most successful trading period in its 30-year
history, twelve months after its acquisition by HgCapital.

HgCapital  services over 200  institutional  clients and manages HgCapital Trust
plc, an investment  trust listed on the London Stock Exchange that  participates
in all of HgCapital's investments.  HgCapital has funds  under management of 1.3
billion euros.

For further information, visit www.hgcapital.net.
                               -----------------

HgCapital is the trading name of Hg  Investment  Managers  Limited and Hg Pooled
Management Limited.  Registered office: Third Floor, Minerva House, 3-5 Montague
Close,  London SE1 9BB.  Authorised  and  regulated  by the  Financial  Services
Authority.

For further information, contact:
HgCapital
Alex Shivananda                      +44 (0)20 7089 7951
                                     alex.shivananda@hgcapital.net
                                     -----------------------------
Holborn
John Bick                            +44 (0)20 7929 5599
                                     john.bick@holbornpr.com
                                     -----------------------

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