Timeline of Las Vegas

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

## 20th century

[edit]

### 1900s–1950s

[edit]

See also: Las Vegas in the 1940s and Las Vegas in the 1950s

* 1900
* The population of Las Vegas, five years before it is founded as a city, is 22.[1]
* 1905
* Las Vegas is founded as a city on May 15 when 110 acres (45 ha) of land adjacent to the San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad tracks are auctioned off by the railroad company. The areas that were auctioned off were situated between Stewart Avenue on the north, Garces Avenue to the south, Main Street to the west, and 5th Street (Las Vegas Boulevard) to the east and would later become the downtown area.[1]
* San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad begins operating, linking Southern California with Salt Lake City and making Las Vegas an ideal refueling point and rest stop due to the availability of water.[2][1]
* 1906
* Golden Gate Hotel, f/k/a Hotel Nevada and Sal Sagev Hotel, in business.
* Las Vegas and Tonopah Railroad built.[2]
* 1909
* Las Vegas becomes seat of Clark County.[2]
* Clark County Review newspaper begins publication.[3]
* Las Vegas Evening Review and Journal newspaper in publication.[3]
* 1910
* Victory Hotel in business.[4]
* 1911
* June 1: Citizens of Las Vegas vote 168 to 57 in favor of incorporation.[5][1]
* June 1: Peter Buol is elected first mayor of Las Vegas, Stewart, VonTobel, McGovern and Gaughlin become city commissioner and assure a "conservative city government".[6]

"Helldorado Days. Louis Dufur, Pretty Las Vegas, Nevada. Debutante, “Sets ‘Em Up" for her Friends" at "saloon in downtown Las Vegas." The photograph is part of a series sent out by the Union Pacific Railroad's publicly department to promote the event.

* 1920
* Population: 2,304.[1]
* 1930
* Population: 5,165.[1]
* 1931
* Gambling legalized.[5]
* Hoover Dam construction begins near Las Vegas.[5]
* 1933
* Post Office built.[4]
* 1934
* Helldorado festival begins.

The former Union Pacific Station in Las Vegas, c. 1940–1945

* 1940
* Population: 8,422.[1]
* Las Vegas Union Pacific Station built.[2]
* 1941
* Las Vegas Army Airfield activated.
* 1943
* Las Vegas YMCA active.[7]

Ansel Adams photograph of the Hoover Dam, was an American landscape photographer and environmentalist known for his black-and-white images of the American West.

* 1944
* Huntridge Theater built.[4]
* 1946
* Flamingo Hotel[4] and Golden Nugget casino in business.
* 1949
* The Desert Sea News Bureau is established to promote the city, and is later renamed the Las Vegas News Bureau.[8]
* 1950
* Population: 24,624.[1]
* U.S. military Nellis Air Force Base dedicated.
* Las Vegas Morning Sun newspaper begins publication.[3]
* Desert Inn casino in business.

Binion's Gambling Hall and Hotel, known as the Binion's Horseshoe neon sign at night

* 1951
* Binion's Horseshoe casino in business.
* 1952
* Unitarian Universalist Congregation founded.[9]
* Sahara Hotel and Casino in business.
* Sands Hotel and Casino in business.
* 1953
* City of Henderson chartered in vicinity of Las Vegas.
* KLAS-TV, Las Vegas' first television station, signs on the air.
* 1955
* Riviera Hotel and Casino in business.
* Las Vegas' second television station, KLRJ-TV (now KSNV), signs on from Henderson; it will move to Las Vegas by the end of the year.
* 1956
* The City of Las Vegas annexes one square mile of land, the first such addition of land since incorporation 45 years earlier.[1]
* Las Vegas Air Force Station in use.
* Fremont Hotel in business.
* KSHO-TV (now KTNV-TV) signs on.
* 1957
* University of Nevada, Las Vegas and United Way of Southern Nevada[10] established.
* Tropicana in business on the Strip.
* 1958
* Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada established.[11]
* 1959
* The Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign is built, designed by Betty Willis at the request of a local salesman who sold it to Clark County.
* Oran K. Gragson becomes mayor.
* Las Vegas Convention Center opens in Winchester.

### 1960s–1990s

[edit]

* 1960
* The population of Las Vegas has grown to 64,405, which represents more than 22 percent of Nevada's total population, even though with just 25 square miles it occupies less than 0.02 percent of the state's land.[1]

Plaque describing the Beatles' hotel stay in 1964. Sahara Las Vegas USA Las Vegas Natural History Museum

* 1964
* Bonanza Air Lines Flight 114, flying from Phoenix, Arizona to McCarran International Airport, crashes on a hill just southwest of Las Vegas during a landing approach in poor weather conditions. All 26 passengers and 3 crew members were killed when the plane exploded on impact.
* 1966
* Aladdin casino in business.
* Caesars Palace casino in business on the Strip
* 1967
* Las Vegas Marathon begins.
* Barrick Museum of Natural History established.[12]
* Nevada's first independent station, KVVU-TV, signs on in nearby Henderson.[13]
* 1968
* Circus Circus in business on the Strip.
* KLVX, Nevada's first ETV station, signs on.
* 1970
* Population: 125,787.[5]
* 1973
* Las Vegas City Hall built.
* 1979
* Liberace Museum opens near city.
* Faith Lutheran Middle School & High School opens.
* 1980
* November 21: In nearby Paradise, the MGM Grand fire occurs.
* Population: 164,674; metro 463,087.[4]
* 1981
* Cinedome movie theatre in business.[14]
* KUNV college radio begins broadcasting.
* February 10: In nearby Winchester, a fire occurs at Las Vegas Hilton hotel.
* 1982
* Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas established.[12]
* 1983
* Harry Reid becomes U.S. representative for Nevada's 1st congressional district.[15]
* 1984
* Spanish Trail Country Club opens.[10]
* Meadows School established.[10]
* 1985
* Paradise 6 cinema in business.[14]
* National Finals Rodeo is first held Las Vegan with the help of Benie Binion.
* 1989
* Mirage casino in business on the Strip.

Exterior and interior of the dome – Mirage casino

* 1990

Excalibur Hotel and Casino

*     * Guinness World Records Museum established.[12]
* Population: 258,295;[16] metro 741,459.[4]
* Excalibur casino in business on the Strip.
* 1992
* Cannon Aviation Museum established near city.[12]
* 1993
* MGM Grand, Treasure Island, and Luxor casinos in business on the Strip.
* Las Vegas Business Press begins publication.[3]
* Defcon hacker convention begins.
* 1994
* Zen Center founded.[9]
* 1995

Hard Rock Hotel and Casino

*     * Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in business
* 1996
* September: Murder of Tupac Shakur.
* Neon Museum founded.
* Las Vegas CityLife newspaper begins publication.
* Stratosphere and Monte Carlo casinos in business on the Strip.
* 1997
* City website online (approximate date).[17][chronology citation needed]
* New York-New York Hotel & Casino in business on the Strip.
* 1998
* Bellagio (hotel and casino) in business on the Strip.
* Las Vegas Weekly newspaper begins publication.
* Las Vegas Philharmonic Orchestra founded.
* 1999
* Mandalay Bay, Venetian, and Paris casinos in business on the Strip.
* Oscar Goodman becomes mayor.[18]
* A flood strikes on July 8, killing two people, damaging 353 homes, and causing $20 million in public property damage.[19][20]
* 2000
* Population: 478,434.[21]
* Aladdin Casino rebuilt on the Strip.

Logo as The Source – KUNV 91.5FM TheSource

## 21st century

[edit]

* 2001
* Omar Haikal Islamic Academy opens.[9]
* Palms Casino in business near the Strip.

A view from the Mandalay Bay hotel looking north in 2003 The Mirage in 2005 Paris Las Vegas in 2006

* 2004
* Las Vegas Urban League established.[10]
* 2005
* World Market Center built.
* Wynn casino in business on the Strip.
* 2006
* Miss Exotic World Pageant and Burlesque Hall of Fame relocated to Las Vegas.
* 2007

The Venetian in 2007

*     * Palazzo casino in business on the Strip.
* 2008
* Encore casino in business on the Strip.

Mandalay Bay Hotel Las Vegas, photo taken on July 15, 2008 Planet Hollywood Las Vegas at night in 2009 The Paris Casino in Las Vegas & the Bellagio Fountain in 2010

* 2009
* CityCenter opens. The City Center includes: Aria Resort and Casino, Vdara, Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas, and The Shops at Crystals.
* 2010
* Syn Shop hackerspace opens.[22]
* Population: 583,756; metro 1,951,269.[23]
* Cosmopolitan casino in business on the Strip.
* 2011
* Sahara Hotel closes for business.
* Carolyn Goodman becomes mayor.
* Population: 589,317; metro 1,969,975.[24]

Las Vegas new City Hall in February 2012 T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas Planet Hollywood Las Vegas in 2012 The Mirage in 2012.

* 2012
* The Mob Museum opens.
* Smith Center for the Performing Arts opens.
* Las Vegas City Hall rebuilt.
* 2013
* Sahara Hotel reopens as SLS Las Vegas.
* Zappos.com headquartered in city.
* Steven Horsford becomes U.S. representative for Nevada's 4th congressional district.[25]
* 2014
* June 8: 2014 Las Vegas shootings occur.
* Downtown Summerlin opens.
* Downtown Project continues expanding the Fremont East district.
* 2015
* May 2: Mayweather-Pacquiao boxing match takes place.
* Riviera Hotel and Casino closes for business.
* 2016
* T-Mobile Arena opens.
* Plans announced to spend $450 Million on a remodel of Monte Carlo Resort and Casino and rename to Park MGM. In addition to add the NoMad Las Vegas Hotel within the resort on upper floors.[26]
* Riviera Hotel and Casino imploded.
* 2017
* Celebrity Chumlee[27] grand opening, a candy store from an icon at Pawn Stars Pawn Plaza.[28][29][30]
* June 20: A heat wave grounded more than 40 airline flights of small aircraft, with American Airlines reducing sales on certain flights to prevent the vehicles from being over the maximum weight permitted for safe takeoff and Las Vegas tying its record high at 117 degrees Fahrenheit.[31]
* October 1: A mass shooting left 60 dead and 867 injured when a 64-year-old man, Stephen Paddock, fired from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay casino and hotel into the Route 91 Harvest country music festival.[32][33][34][35] Paddock subsequently committed suicide.
* October 9: The Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League, Nevada's first major professional sports team, plays its first home game at T-Mobile Arena, defeating the Arizona Coyotes 5–2.
* 2018
* Park MGM opened in April.
* NoMad Hotel scheduled to open in Fall.
* Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas replaces Mandarin Oriental Hotel in September.
* 2019
* SLS renamed Sahara.
* Alpine Motel Apartments fire occurs in downtown Las Vegas, killing six people in the deadliest fire to occur within city limits.[36]
* 2020
* Hard Rock Hotel and Casino closes for business.
* COVID-19 arrives at the city, impacting the economy[37]
* The Oakland Raiders of the National Football League relocates to Las Vegas and becomes the Las Vegas Raiders.
* Circa Resort & Casino opens as the first new downtown resort in 40 years.[38]
* 2021
* Hard Rock Hotel reopens as Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.[39]
* Resorts World Las Vegas opens on the former site of the Stardust.[40]
* 2023
* Sphere at The Venetian Resort opened near the Strip.[41]
* Las Vegas Grand Prix took place on and near the Strip.[41]
* 2024
* Super Bowl LVIII took place at Allegiant Stadium.[41]
* Tropicana Las Vegas closed after 67 years of operation.

## See also

[edit]

* Nevada portal

* History of Las Vegas
* List of mayors of Las Vegas
* Timeline of Reno, Nevada

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "History of Las Vegas". City of Las Vegas. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
2. ^ a b c d Federal Writers' Project 1957.
3. ^ a b c d "US Newspaper Directory". Chronicling America. Washington DC: Library of Congress. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
4. ^ a b c d e f Kurian 1994.
5. ^ a b c d Nergal 1980.
6. ^ Squires 1913.
7. ^ "Y History". Retrieved July 2, 2018.
8. ^ Fabulous Las Vegas. Beautiful America Publishing Co. 2006. p. 75\. ISBN 978-0-89802-815-7. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
9. ^ a b c Pluralism Project. "Las Vegas, Nevada". Directory of Religious Centers. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
10. ^ a b c d Mike Tigas and Sisi Wei (ed.). "Las Vegas, Nevada". Nonprofit Explorer. New York: ProPublica. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
11. ^ "Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada". Retrieved July 2, 2018.
12. ^ a b c d American Association for State and Local History (2002). "Nevada: Las Vegas". Directory of Historical Organizations in the United States and Canada. ISBN 0759100020.
13. ^ "KVVU on-air date". Brainy History. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
14. ^ a b "Movie Theaters in Las Vegas, NV". CinemaTreasures.org. Los Angeles: Cinema Treasures LLC. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
15. ^ "Nevada". Official Congressional Directory. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1985–1986. hdl:2027/mdp.39015022208436.
16. ^ Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States: 1790 to 1990, US Census Bureau, 1998
17. ^ "Welcome to Las Vegas". Archived from the original on January 10, 1998 - via Internet Archive, Wayback Machine.
18. ^ Zapler, Mike (June 9, 1999). "Goodman elected in a landslide". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on August 18, 2000.
19. ^ Koch, Ed; Radke, Jace (July 9, 1999). "Damage assessed, area braces for more rain". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
20. ^ "Clinton to make call on flood aid". Las Vegas Sun. July 19, 1999. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
21. ^ "Las Vegas (city), Nevada". State & County QuickFacts. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 18, 2009. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
22. ^ "Nevada". Hackerspaces. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
23. ^ "Largest Urbanized Areas With Selected Cities and Metro Areas (2010)". US Census Bureau. 2012.
24. ^ "30 Cities: An Introductory Snapshot". American Cities Project. Washington, DC: Pew Charitable Trusts. 2013. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
25. ^ Civic Impulse, LLC. "Members of Congress". GovTrack. Washington, D.C. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
26. ^ "Monte Carlo will transform to Park MGM in $450M makeover". June 3, 2016.
27. ^ "Construction progresses on Pawn Plaza, a Container Park-inspired restaurant and retail shopping complex planned by Rick Harrison of "Pawn Stars," located next to the Gold and Silver Pawn shop in d..."
28. ^ "Chumlee finally opens Candy on the BLVD at Pawn Plaza". June 21, 2017.
29. ^ "Chumlee's candy store cuts hours; Harrison celebrates wedding". June 30, 2017.
30. ^ "New candy shop hits 'Pawn Stars' fave Chumlee's sweet spot". May 2017.
31. ^ Park, Madison (June 20, 2017). "How hot is it in the West? Let us count the ways". CNN.
32. ^ Holly Yan; Philip Victor; Darran Simon (October 2, 2017). "Weapons cache found at Las Vegas shooter's home". CNN.
33. ^ "Country music artists pray for victims of Las Vegas shooting near concert". ABC News.
34. ^ Lacanlale, Rio (August 24, 2020). "California woman declared 59th victim of 2017 massacre in Las Vegas". The Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
35. ^ Lacanlale, Rio (September 17, 2020). "Las Vegas woman becomes 60th victim of October 2017 mass shooting". The Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
36. ^ "6 dead in downtown Las Vegas apartment fire". Las Vegas Review-Journal. December 21, 2019. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
37. ^ nvhealthresponse.nv.gov/state-information/press-releases/
38. ^ Stutz, Howard (October 25, 2020). "A gambler at heart: Derek Stevens opening first all-new resort in four decades in downtown Las Vegas". The Nevada Independent. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
39. ^ Velotta, Richard N.; Shoro, Mike (March 25, 2021). "Virgin Hotels Las Vegas opens, marking a return to paradise". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
40. ^ Komenda, Ed (June 25, 2021). "Resorts World, first new hotel-casino built on Las Vegas Strip in a decade, is now open. Look inside". Reno Gazette Journal. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
41. ^ a b c Brewer, Ray (February 6, 2023). "Southern Nevada's big year ahead culminates decade of growth in the Valley". VegasInc. Retrieved May 28, 2023.

### Works cited

[edit]

* C.P. Squires (1913), "Clark County", in Sam P. Davis (ed.), History of Nevada, Reno, Nevada: Elms Publishing Co., OCLC 7990365
* Federal Writers' Project (1957), "Las Vegas", Nevada: A Guide to the Silver State, American Guide Series, Portland, Or.: Binfords & Mort, hdl:2027/mdp.39015048749454 - via HathiTrust
* Robert Venturi; Denise Scott Brown; Steven Izenour (1977) [1972]. Learning from Las Vegas. Cambridge MA: MIT Press. ISBN 0-262-72006-X.
* Ory Mazar Nergal, ed. (1980), "Las Vegas, NV", Encyclopedia of American Cities, New York: E.P. Dutton, p. 187+, OL 4120668M
* {{Citation

-|chapter-url=https://openlibrary.org/books/ia:nevadahandbookmo00deke/Nevada_handbook_(Moon_Handbooks_Nevada) |title = Nevada Handbook |date = 1989 |publisher = Moon Publications |location=California |chapter=Las Vegas |author=Deke Castleman |ref=none }} (fulltext via OpenLibrary)

* George Thomas Kurian (1994), "Las Vegas", World Encyclopedia of Cities, Vol. 1: North America, Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, p. 479+, OL 1431653M (fulltext via Open Library)
* "Las Vegas", Re/code, 2014, archived from the original on May 15, 2015 (series of articles)

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Las Vegas.

* "Las Vegas History". Las Vegas-Clark County Library District.
* University Libraries. "Nevada History". Subject Guides. University of Nevada, Las Vegas. (includes Vegas)
* "(Las Vegas)". Online Nevada Encyclopedia. Nevada Humanities.
* Digital Public Library of America. Items related to Las Vegas, various dates

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