1. Nevada became a state on October 31, 1864, but September 23 marks the date when President Abraham Lincoln signed the proclamation that allowed the territory to form its own state government and submit a constitution. This date is known as Nevada's admission day.

2. In 1932, a major earthquake hit the area around Lone Pine, California, which is near the Nevada state line. Although the epicenter was in California, the quake was felt throughout the region, including in Nevada towns like Reno and Carson City.

3. On September 23, 1972, the first inmates were transferred to the newly opened Nevada State Prison in Carson City. The facility was designed to hold 900 inmates but eventually grew to house over 1,700.

4. In 1980, the U.S. Department of Energy announced plans to build a nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, located about 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas. The project has been controversial ever since, with many Nevadans opposing the idea of storing radioactive waste in the state.

5. On September 23, 1996, former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson was ordered to serve one year in prison for raping a Miss Black America contestant in a Las Vegas hotel room in 1991. Tyson was released on parole after serving three years, but the conviction effectively ended his boxing career.