1. In 1861, Nevada became the 36th state in the United States. May 31st is celebrated as Statehood Day and is a public holiday in Nevada.

2. On May 31, 1955, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck the area near the Nevada-California border, causing significant damage to buildings and roads. This event is known as the 1955 Lone Pine earthquake.

3. In 1961, NASA launched the first American astronaut, Alan Shepard, on a suborbital flight as part of the Mercury program. The spacecraft was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida and flew over Nevada during its trajectory.

4. On May 31, 1973, the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas experienced a catastrophic fire that killed 85 people and injured over 700. This remains the deadliest disaster in Nevada history.

5. In 2019, a 3.5-mile-long wi-fi network was installed in the town of Searchlight, Nevada, the hometown of former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. The high-speed wi-fi network was installed to improve internet access for residents and visitors in the area.