1. On December 14, 1861, Nevada was admitted as the 36th state of the United States, just a few days after the American Civil War had begun. Nevada's statehood was largely influenced by its abundance of silver and the need for its mineral resources.

2. In 1915, the Nevada State Legislature passed the first statewide prohibition law, which banned the sale and consumption of alcohol in the state. This law remained in effect until the end of Prohibition in 1933.

3. On December 14, 1930, the Hoover Dam was officially dedicated by President Herbert Hoover. The dam spans the Colorado River between Arizona and Nevada and provides hydroelectric power to millions of people in the western United States.

4. In 1963, the Moulin Rouge casino, the first desegregated casino in Las Vegas, opened on December 14. The casino closed just six months later but paved the way for future integration of the city's casinos.

5. On December 14, 1988, 271 people were killed in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. Many of the victims were from the United States, including several from Nevada. The tragedy remains one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in history.