1) In 1905, the city of Las Vegas was founded. The original name of the city was “Las Vegas Alameda,” but it was later shortened to just “Las Vegas.”

2) In 1951, the U.S. Air Force began testing atomic bombs at the Nevada Test Site. Over the course of several decades, more than 1,000 nuclear tests were conducted at the site.

3) In 1861, Union troops took control of Carson City, the newly established capital of the Nevada Territory, during the American Civil War. The state of Nevada was officially admitted to the Union in 1864, making it the 36th state.

4) In 1980, the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas caught fire, resulting in 85 deaths and more than 700 injuries. It was the worst hotel fire in U.S. history at the time.

5) In 2014, the Bristlecone Pine was designated as the official state tree of Nevada. These ancient trees can live for up to 5,000 years and are found primarily in the high-elevation areas of the Great Basin region, including parts of Nevada.