1. In 1859, Nevada Territory was officially established by the United States government. The territory was created from portions of Utah Territory and consisted of what is now the state of Nevada.

2. May 8, 1861, marked the beginning of Nevada's involvement in the Civil War when a group of volunteers left Carson City to join the Union Army. Over the course of the war, more than 1,000 Nevadans served in the Union Army.

3. In 1906, a devastating earthquake struck San Francisco, causing significant damage and loss of life. Nevada responded by sending aid and supplies to the city, including a trainload of hay and grain for the horses and mules that had survived the earthquake.

4. On May 8, 1957, the Nevada Test Site conducted its first underground nuclear test. The test, known as Rainier, was the first of many conducted at the site over the next several decades.

5. In 1995, construction began on the Hoover Dam Bypass Project, a bridge that would span the Colorado River and provide a new route for traffic between Arizona and Nevada. The bridge, officially named the Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, was completed in 2010 and is now the second-highest bridge in the United States.