History History

The Patayan and Anasazi Native Americans inhabited the Colorado River region in what would become the state of Nevada.

The region is populated by large groups of Native Americans. The Mojave natives plant crops along the riverbanks. The Washoe tribe inhabits the Sierra Nevada mountain range, which forms the border between present-day Nevada and California. The Paiutes reside in northern and southern Nevada, while the Shoshone occupy the northeastern region.

The southwestern region of the United States, which will become Nevada, is claimed by Spain.

Spanish explorer and merchant Antonio Armijo's party of 60 hiked the Old Spanish Trail to Los Angeles. While his group was camping, a reconnaissance party headed west in search of water. Mexican-born Rafael Rivera left the main group to venture into an unexplored area. Within two weeks, he discovered Las Vegas Springs, an area with several springs and fertile plains (Las Vegas in Spanish).

John C. Fremont leads an expedition west and sets up camp in Las Vegas Springs.

The United States acquired Nevada (and other states such as California) after the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, ending the Mexican-American War.

William Bringhurst led a group of 29 Mormon missionaries from Utah to the Las Vegas Valley. There, the missionaries built a fort near a stream to water their crops. Community tensions, summer heat and crop failures caused the missionaries to leave. They abandoned the fort and returned to Utah.

Located in the northwestern part of the state, Carson City, the current capital of Nevada, was founded.

With the enactment of an act of Congress, signed by President James Buchanan, the region obtained territorial status. Finally separated from Utah, the area officially adopted the name Nevada, which means "snowy" in Spanish.

In the midst of the Civil War, Nevada became the 36th state and adopted the motto "Battle Born. Henry G. Blasdel took office on December 5, 1864 and became the first governor of the state of Nevada.

Clark County, where the city of Las Vegas is located, becomes part of Nevada. Prior to this date, it was still part of the Arizona Territory. With cities such as Las Vegas and Henderson, Clark County now contains almost the entire population of the state.

Nevada became the world leader in borax production. This mineral was used to disinfect, bleach and fight mold. Dangerous to health, it is now banned in some countries.

During the winter of 1889-1890, nearly 100 inches (2.5 meters) of snow fell. This was the heaviest snowfall in northern Nevada's history. Estimates at the time indicated that 90-95% of the state's livestock died during this winter. It would become known as the "White Winter".

A meteorite falls and hits the ground between Candelaria and Belleville in Esmeralda County. Its fall creates a crater nearly 100 feet, or more than 30 meters in diameter.

In San Francisco, Charles Fey invented the first slot machine called Liberty Bell. When three bells are aligned, the machine makes the player win fifty cents.

While camping in the area and searching for his burro (a small donkey), Jim Butler discovered gold in Tonopah. At that time, Nevada had a population of only 42,335.

The city of Las Vegas is officially established in Clark County. The city covers 110 acres, or approximately 445,000 m².

Las Vegas was nearly wiped out by a flood that destroyed more than 100 miles of roads connecting Nevada and Salt Lake City.

The population of Las Vegas reached 3,000. Twenty years later, nearly 100,000 people live in this young city.

A member of the Republican Party and born in Chicago, Illinois, Peter Buol was elected the first mayor of Las Vegas. He helped the development of the city by investing in real estate and the mining industry.

In the midst of the Great Depression, construction work began on the future Hoover Dam. One year later, the town of Boulder City was founded to accommodate the many workers on this pharaonic site.

Governor Fred Balzar approves bill to legalize gambling in Nevada.

A political figure in the state, Democrat Pat McCarran won the party's nomination and became Nevada's senator. He was re-elected in 1938, 1944 and 1950.

The Hoover Dam begins to generate electricity. Following its construction, the largest artificial reservoir in the United States was created. This is the birth of Lake Mead, a place appreciated by the inhabitants who can swim, fish and go boating there. Fed by the Colorado River, Lake Mead will become the main water resource of Nevada and neighboring states such as California and Arizona. Today, it provides electricity to 36 million Americans.

Known as "Spirit Cave Man," the mummified remains of the oldest man on the continent are discovered by Sydney and Georgia Wheeler in a cave in the Grimes Point area east of Fallon, a town east of Reno.

Movie star and wife of the famous movie actor Clark Gable, Carol Lombard was killed in the crash of a TWA airliner on Potosi Mountain, located 50 kilometers southwest of Las Vegas.

The Flamingo Hotel opens its doors on the Strip. It is entirely controlled by Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegal, one of the biggest mafia bosses.

Greeting visitors at the entrance to the city, the illuminated Vegas Vic cowboy sign, nearly 50 feet high, is erected on the Pioneer Club. That same year, the first atomic tests began in Nevada.

KLAS, the Las Vegas Valley's first television station, officially launches.

Billionaire Howard R. Hughes moves into the Desert Inn hotel in Las Vegas. Over the years, he gradually invested in the city, becoming its largest employer. Howard R. Hughes acquires a 10,000-hectare parcel of land west of the Las Vegas valley, not far from Red Rock Canyon. Decades later, part of the Summerlin district is built. Caesars Palace officially opens with an Ancient Rome theme. In 2003, a large concert hall, a replica of the Colosseum, is added to the complex.

Elvis Presley, the king of Rock'n'Roll, married Priscilla Beaulieu, far from Graceland, at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas. With this event, Las Vegas becomes one of the high places of the marriage.

Circus Circus Casino, a $15 million facility, opens on Las Vegas Boulevard, better known as the Strip.

The MGM Grand is inaugurated. Seven years later, the casino was partially destroyed by a violent fire that killed more than 80 people.

A lawyer by profession, Harry M. Reid is a political figure in Nevada. He became U.S. Senator from Nevada from 1987 to 2017. He led the Senate Democratic Caucus from 2005 to 2017 and was Senate Majority Leader from 2007 to 2015. He died on December 28, 2021. In tribute to his long career, the city renames Pat McCarran Airport Harry Reid International Airport.

The Mirage is officially open. This 3,000+ room hotel-casino marks the beginning of the new era of "mega resorts" on the Strip.

Jan Laverty Jones is the first woman elected mayor of Las Vegas. Nevada's population exceeds 1.2 million.

The Nevada 125th Anniversary Celebration Committee commissioned George Dare, a native of Henderson, Nevada, to write a new song to represent the state.

Somewhat abandoned in favor of the Strip, the Downtown district is being revived with the launch of a light show on Fremont Street, called "Fremont Street Experience".

Opening of the Bellagio on the site formerly occupied by the Dunes Hotel. This hotel-casino became one of the attractions of the city with its thousand fountains. Every day from 8 a.m. to midnight, the fountains spit out water, up to nearly 150 meters high, along with a musical show.

In early March, the Mandalay Bay opens south of the Strip. Two months later, Le Venetian was completed, as was Paris Las Vegas, which opened on September¹. The complex features a 165-metre replica of the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe. Its façade is a blend of famous Parisian monuments such as the Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay and the Opéra Garnier.

Nevada's population is approaching 2 million.

The Fremont East District is becoming one of North Las Vegas' top attractions. The district, which spans 6 blocks, offers a variety of living spaces (bars, restaurants, offices and homes).

The Las Vegas Monorail is put into service. Running along the Strip, it allows to reach most of the big casinos of the city.

Las Vegas celebrates its 100th birthday. The celebrations bring thousands of people together with fireworks from the casinos on the Strip. A giant cake the size of a basketball court is made.

Located less than two hours by car from Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon Skywalk has opened. This transparent walkway allows you to overlook the Grand Canyon. It is a very popular attraction for visitors to the city.

Adjacent to the Venetian, the Palazzo is opened with great fanfare. This new complex became the largest hotel in the world with over 7,000 rooms. The same year saw the opening of the Encore, a hotel-casino with the same architecture as its neighbor the Wynn.

The subprime crisis, which affects all of the United States, hits Las Vegas hard and long. Real estate prices were in free fall, the unemployment rate rose sharply and many casino projects were abandoned. It took nearly three years for the city to gradually recover with the return of tourists.

Former attorney and mayor of Las Vegas from 1999 to 2011, Oscar B. Goodman is stepping down. He is replaced by his wife, Carolyn G. Goodman, who is still in office.

Recovering from the crisis of 2009, the city continues its development with the renovation of some casinos. Downtown is also reviving with the opening of the Mob Museum and the Smith Center for the Performing Arts. "Fremont Street Experience" inaugurates the Zipline (SlotZilla), two zip lines 520 meters and 250 meters long.

Construction of the Downtown Container Park was completed in December. Located in the heart of the artistic district, this site gathers many stores installed in containers. Its entrance is marked by the presence of a giant metal praying mantis that spits fire. This sculpture was originally built for the annual Burning Man festival.

After two years of construction, the T-Mobile Arena opened in April. In addition to concerts, the arena becomes the home of the Las Vegas Golden Knights, the city's National Hockey League (NHL) team.

On October¹, during an outdoor country music concert near the Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas was hit by the deadliest mass shooting in the country, killing 58 people and injuring more than 500. Five years later, the city honored the victims in a ceremony at the Community Healing Garden. That same year, the Golden Knights made their official NHL debut and reached the Stanley Cup Final (losing to the Washington Capitals).

Steve Sisolak, a member of the Democratic Party, is elected governor of Nevada. That same year, the State of Nevada legalized the use of cannabis. Some $152 million in sales taxes were collected in 2022. The money is used to fund the development of Nevada's schools, among other things.

Like most major cities in the United States, Las Vegas is being hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. With the exception of essential businesses, the city has seen its casinos and restaurants close and thousands of people are out of work. Despite this, Las Vegas continues to grow. The new Las Vegas Convention Center was completed. On October 28, the Circa casino was inaugurated in the Downtown Las Vegas area. It is the first establishment to open its doors in nearly five years. That same year, the Hard Rock Hotel was completely renovated and renamed the Virgin Hotel.

Less than a year after the opening of the Circa, the Resorts World hotel-casino completes the landscape of new casinos in Las Vegas. Located on the north side of the Strip after the Wynn and the Encore, this brand new casino should make this part of the Strip more attractive. It is impossible not to see it thanks to its giant screen of 9 300 m² located on the front of the establishment. The city is also inaugurating the Allegiant Stadium, a stadium with a capacity of more than 60,000 seats, and which will have cost 1.9 billion dollars. In addition to concerts and shows, the stadium is home to the Raiders, the American soccer team (NFL).

The Las Vegas women's basketball team, the Aces, wins the WNBA championship. It is the first team from the city to win a title in one of the four major sports.

After years of neglect, work on the Fontainebleau hotel-casino should be completed. The inauguration of this new establishment is scheduled for the third quarter. In November and after more than 40 years, Las Vegas will see the return of Formula 1 with a Grand Prix that will take place at night. The city is also awaiting the completion of the MSG Sphere at The Venetian, a large sphere-shaped concert and entertainment venue. The 17,500-seat auditorium will house a giant 15,000 square meter LED screen. It will be the largest LED screen in the world with the highest resolution, as well as 164,000 speakers and a system that will broadcast sound through the floors of the complex.