1. Nevada became a state on October 31, 1864. President Abraham Lincoln granted statehood to Nevada during the Civil War, making it the 36th state to join the Union.

2. On October 31, 1953, the United States government conducted a nuclear weapons test at the Nevada Test Site. The test, known as Operation Upshot-Knothole, was the largest nuclear test conducted in the United States up to that time.

3. The MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, was the site of a tragic fire on October 31, 1980. The fire killed 85 people and injured more than 700 others. It was the second-deadliest hotel fire in U.S. history at the time.

4. On October 31, 1999, the Las Vegas Strip was closed to vehicle traffic for the first time in its history. The closure was part of a massive New Year's Eve celebration that included fireworks, music, and other festivities.

5. In recent years, October 31 in Nevada has been associated with Halloween celebrations. Las Vegas is known for its elaborate Halloween parties, and Reno hosts a popular zombie crawl event in which participants dress up as the undead and crawl through the city's bars and clubs.