1. In 1853, the Gadsden Purchase was ratified by the United States and Mexico, which transferred a portion of present-day southern Arizona and New Mexico to the U.S. The purchase was named after James Gadsden, a U.S. diplomat who negotiated the agreement with Mexico. The land acquired through the Gadsden Purchase included the southernmost portion of Nevada.

2. In 1864, Nevada became the 36th state in the Union. The territory had been created by Congress in 1861, and the statehood came about due to the region's importance as a source of silver and gold. Nevada's mining boom was fueled by the discovery of the Comstock Lode in 1859, which was one of the richest silver deposits in the world at the time.

3. In 1907, the Tonopah and Goldfield Railroad was completed, connecting the mining towns of Goldfield and Tonopah in central Nevada. The railway played a key role in the transportation of ore and supplies to and from the remote mining towns, which were situated in one of the most desolate regions of the state.

4. In 1951, the Nevada test site was established by the U.S. Department of Energy for the testing of nuclear weapons. The site was located in Nye County and covered an area of approximately 1,350 square miles. Over the course of the next several decades, over 1,000 nuclear weapons were tested at the site, making it one of the most heavily irradiated regions in the world.

5. In 1985, the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas was the site of a devastating fire that killed 85 people and injured hundreds more. The fire started in a restaurant and quickly spread through the casino and hotel, causing extensive damage and loss of life. The tragedy led to new safety codes and regulations for hotels and casinos in Nevada and across the U.S.