Timeline of Las Vegas

Clark County Court House, Las Vegas, Nevada

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
* Five years before the city was founded, the population was 22 people.[1]
* 1905
* January, J. T. McWilliams sold subdivisions of 80 acres (0.32 km2)[2] between modern A and H streets It was estimated that "McWilliamstown,"[citation needed] now referred to as the Historic West Side, had about 2,000 residents by the early 1910s.[3]
* May 5, the Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad sold subdivisions of 1,800 acres (7.3 km2) of Stewart Ranch the railroad had purchased from Montana Senator William A Clark, after whom Clark County was named.[4]
* Three buildings visible in McWilliams' townsite in 1905.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.[5][1]
* 1906
* Golden Gate Hotel, originally the "Las Vegas Hotel," opens.[6]
* Las Vegas and Tonopah Railroad built.[5]
* 1908
* The Las Vegas Age newspaper was founded.[7]
* Las Vegas Ranch, early 1900s1909
* Las Vegas becomes seat of Clark County.[5]
* Clark County Review newspaper begins publication.[8]
* Las Vegas Evening Review and Journal newspaper in publication.[8]
* 1910
* Victory Hotel opens.[9]
* 1911
* June 1: Citizens of Las Vegas vote 168 to 57 in favor of incorporation.[10][1]
* June 1: Peter Buol is elected first mayor of Las Vegas, Stewart, VonTobel, McGovern and Gaughlin become city commissioners.[11]

"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.[10]
* Hoover Dam construction begins near Las Vegas.[10]
* 1933
* Post Office built.[9]
* 1934
* Helldorado festival begins.

The former Union Pacific Station in Las Vegas, c. 1940–1945 The Las Vegas Army Airfield had three runways in 1942.

* 1940
* Population: 8,422.[1]
* Las Vegas Union Pacific Station built.[5]
* 1941
* Las Vegas Army Airfield activated.
* 1943
* Las Vegas YMCA active.[12]

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.[9]
* 1946
* Flamingo Hotel[9] and Golden Nugget casino open.
* 1949
* The Desert Sea News Bureau is established to promote the city, and is later renamed the Las Vegas News Bureau.[13]
* 1950
* Population: 24,624.[1]
* U.S. military Nellis Air Force Base dedicated.
* Las Vegas Morning Sun newspaper begins publication.[8]
* Desert Inn casino opens.

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

* 1951
* Binion's Horseshoe casino opens.
* 1952
* Unitarian Universalist congregation founded.[14]
* Sahara Hotel and Casino opens.
* Sands Hotel and Casino opens.
* 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 opens.
* 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 opens.
* KSHO-TV (now KTNV-TV) signs on.
* 1957
* University of Nevada, Las Vegas[15] and United Way of Southern Nevada established.[16]
* Tropicana opens on the Strip.
* 1958
* Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada established.[17]
* 1959
* The Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign is built,[18] designed by Betty Willis at the request of a local salesman who sold it to Clark County.[19]
* Oran K. Gragson becomes mayor.
* Las Vegas Convention Center opens in Winchester.

Las Vegas Convention Center

### 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 Liberace himself opened the Liberace Museum on April 15, 1979, in Paradise, Nevada, a census-designated place in the Las Vegas Valley.

* 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 opens.
* Caesars Palace casino opens on the Strip
* 1967
* Las Vegas Marathon begins.
* Barrick Museum of Natural History established.[20]
* Nevada's first independent station, KVVU-TV, signs on in nearby Henderson.[21]
* 1968
* Circus Circus opens on the Strip.
* KLVX, Nevada's first ETV station, signs on.
* 1970
* Population: 125,787.[10]
* 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.[9]
* 1981
* Cinedome movie theatre opens.[22]
* 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.[20]
* 1983
* Harry Reid becomes U.S. representative for Nevada's 1st congressional district.[23]
* 1984
* Spanish Trail Country Club opens.[16]
* Meadows School established.[16]
* 1985
* Paradise 6 cinema opens.[22]
* National Finals Rodeo is first held Las Vegas with the help of Benie Binion.
* 1989
* Mirage casino opens on the Strip.

Exterior and interior of the dome – Mirage casino

* 1990

Excalibur Hotel and Casino

*     * Guinness World Records Museum is established.[20]
* Population: 258,295;[24] metro 741,459.[9]
* Excalibur casino opens on the Strip.
* 1992
* Cannon Aviation Museum established near city.[20]
* 1993
* MGM Grand, Treasure Island, and Luxor casinos open on the Strip.
* Las Vegas Business Press begins publication.[8]
* Defcon hacker convention begins.
* 1994
* Zen Center is founded.[14]
* 1995
* March: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino opens
* December: Fremont Street Experience officially opens[25]
* 1996
* September: Murder of Tupac Shakur.[26]
* Neon Museum is founded.[27]
* Las Vegas CityLife weekly newspaper begins publication.
* Stratosphere[28] and Monte Carlo[29] casinos open on the Strip.
* 1997
* January: New York-New York Hotel & Casino opens on the Strip.[30]
* November: Mike Tyson bit off part of Evander Holyfield's ear during a boxing match at the MGM Garden Arena.[31]
* 1998
* Bellagio opens on the Strip.[32]
* Las Vegas Weekly newspaper begins publication.
* Las Vegas Philharmonic Orchestra founded.
* 1999
* Mandalay Bay, Venetian, and Paris casinos open on the Strip.
* Oscar Goodman becomes mayor.[33]
* A flood strikes on July 8, killing two people, damaging 353 homes, and causing $20 million in public property damage.[34][35]
* 2000
* Population: 478,434.[36]
* Aladdin Casino rebuilt on the Strip.

## 21st century

[edit]

See also: History of Las Vegas § 2007–2016: Economic downturn and recovery; and History of Las Vegas § 2017–present: Tragedies, pandemic, renewal

### 2000–2019

[edit]

A Binion's poker table signed by numerous professional poker players and World Series of Poker Champions The home field of the Las Vegas Raiders, an American football team in the National Football League

* 2001
* Palms Casino opens near the Strip.[37]

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.[16]
* 2005
* World Market Center built.
* Wynn casino opens on the Strip.
* 2006
* Miss Exotic World Pageant and Burlesque Hall of Fame relocated to Las Vegas.

The Venetian in 2007

* 2007
* Palazzo casino opens on the Strip.
* 2008
* Encore casino opens on the Strip.

Planet Hollywood Las Vegas at night in 2009 The Paris Casino in Las Vegas & the Bellagio Fountain in 2010

* 2009
* CityCenter opens, which includes Aria Resort and Casino, Vdara, Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas, and The Shops at Crystals.
* 2010
* Population: 583,756; metro 1,951,269.[38]
* Cosmopolitan casino opens on the Strip.
* 2011
* Sahara Hotel closes.
* Carolyn Goodman becomes mayor.
* Population: 589,317; metro 1,969,975.[39]

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
* SLS Las Vegas opens, post-renovation, at the former Sahara Hotel. (Renamed Sahara again in 2019.)
* Zappos.com headquartered in city.
* 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.
* 2016
* T-Mobile Arena opens.
* Riviera Hotel and Casino imploded by new owners, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) to make room for new development.
* 2017
* June 20: A heat wave grounded over 40 small aircraft as Las Vegas tied its record high temperate of 117 degrees Fahrenheit.[40]
* October 1: A mass shooting left 60 dead and 867 injured by shooter Stephen Paddock, who fired from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay resort into the Route 91 Harvest country music festival.[41][42][43]
* 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 on May 9, following its remodel from the former Monte Carlo Resort and Casino.[44][45]
* The NoMad Las Vegas hotel opened on the top four floors of Park MGM in October, in affiliation with The NoMad in New York.[46]
* Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas replaces Mandarin Oriental Hotel in September.
* Sphere (venue) breaks ground on September 27.
* 2019
* Sahara returns to its original name from "SLS."
* Alpine Motel Apartments fire occurs in downtown Las Vegas, killing six people in the deadliest fire to occur within city limits.[47]

### 2020–present

[edit]

* 2020
* Hard Rock Hotel and Casino closes.
* COVID-19 arrives at the city, impacting the economy[48]
* 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.[49]
* 2021
* Virgin Hotels Las Vegas opens at former site of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.[50]
* Resorts World Las Vegas opens on the former site of the Stardust.[51]

The Sphere under construction in September 2022

* 2023
* Sphere opened near the Strip.[52]
* Las Vegas Grand Prix took place on and near the Strip.[52]
* Vegas Golden Knights wins its first Stanley Cup[53]
* Fontainebleau Las Vegas opens[54]
* 2024
* Super Bowl LVIII took place at Allegiant Stadium.[52]
* Tropicana Las Vegas closed after 67 years of operation.
* 2025
* 2025 Las Vegas Cybertruck explosion took place in front of the Trump International Hotel.

## 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 "History of Las Vegas". City of Las Vegas. 2013. Archived from the original on May 20, 2015. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
2. ^ Squires, C. P. (1913). "Chapter XLV: Clark County". In Davis, Sam P. (ed.). The History of Nevada (PDF) (1st ed.). Reno: Elms Publishing. p. 798\. LCCN 15002825. OCLC 7990365.
3. ^ Hershwitzky, Patricia (2011). West Las Vegas. Images of America. Charleston, SC: Arcadia. p. 7\. ISBN 978-0-7385-8196-5.
4. ^ Squires 1913, p. 796.
5. ^ a b c d Federal Writers' Project 1957.
6. ^ Squires 1913, p. 798.
7. ^ Squires 1913, p. 803.
8. ^ a b c d "US Newspaper Directory". Chronicling America. Washington DC: Library of Congress. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
9. ^ a b c d e f Kurian 1994.
10. ^ a b c d Nergal 1980.
11. ^ Squires 1911, p. 803. sfn error: no target: CITEREFSquires1911 (help)
12. ^ "Y History". Retrieved July 2, 2018.
13. ^ Fabulous Las Vegas. Beautiful America Publishing Co. 2006. p. 75\. ISBN 978-0-89802-815-7. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
14. ^ a b Pluralism Project. "Las Vegas, Nevada". Directory of Religious Centers. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
15. ^ "Early History of the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV)". Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas. September 10, 2021. Archived from the original on October 3, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
16. ^ a b c d Mike Tigas and Sisi Wei, ed. (May 9, 2013). "Las Vegas, Nevada". Nonprofit Explorer. New York: ProPublica. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
17. ^ "Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada". Retrieved July 2, 2018.
18. ^ Keely, Harrison (June 19, 2018). "How the Welcome to Las Vegas sign has changed over the years". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on May 22, 2024.
19. ^ Brown, Patricia Leigh (January 13, 2005). "A Neon Come-Hither, Still Able to Flirt". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
20. ^ 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. Bloomsbury Publishing PLC. ISBN 0759100020.
21. ^ "KVVU on-air date". Brainy History. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
22. ^ a b "Movie Theaters in Las Vegas, NV". CinemaTreasures.org. Los Angeles: Cinema Treasures LLC. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
23. ^ "Nevada". Official Congressional Directory. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1985–1986. hdl:2027/mdp.39015022208436.
24. ^ Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States: 1790 to 1990, US Census Bureau, 1998
25. ^ "What's the history of Fremont Street?". Las Vegas Review-Journal. March 6, 2025. Retrieved April 30, 2025.
26. ^ Pareles, Jon (September 14, 1996). "Tupac Shakur, 25, Rap Performer Who Personified Violence, Dies". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
27. ^ "The Neon Museum". Retrieved March 27, 2025.
28. ^ Stutz, Howard (April 21, 2014). "Stratosphere Tower welcomes 40 millionth visitor". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on April 26, 2014.
29. ^ Lewis, Rebecca (May 9, 2018). "Throwback: Monte Carlo Opens in Las Vegas 21 Years Ago". KSNV. Archived from the original on May 10, 2018.
30. ^ Gang, Bill (February 2, 1998). "NY-NY facade upsets NYSE". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved April 4, 2025.
31. ^ Friend, Tom (June 29, 1997). "Tyson Disqualified for Biting Holyfield's Ears". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 4, 2025.
32. ^ Lilly, Caitlyn (October 13, 2023). "Bellagio set to celebrate 25 years on Las Vegas Strip". KVVU. Archived from the original on April 4, 2025.
33. ^ Zapler, Mike (June 9, 1999). "Goodman elected in a landslide". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on August 18, 2000.
34. ^ Koch, Ed; Radke, Jace (July 9, 1999). "Damage assessed, area braces for more rain". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
35. ^ "Clinton to make call on flood aid". Las Vegas Sun. July 19, 1999. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
36. ^ "Las Vegas (city), Nevada". State & County QuickFacts. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 18, 2009. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
37. ^ Strow, David (November 16, 2001). "Huge Crowd Flocks to New Resort". Las Vegas Sun.
38. ^ "Largest Urbanized Areas With Selected Cities and Metro Areas (2010)". US Census Bureau. 2012.
39. ^ "30 Cities: An Introductory Snapshot". American Cities Project. Washington, DC: Pew Charitable Trusts. 2013. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
40. ^ Park, Madison (June 20, 2017). "How hot is it in the West? Let us count the ways". CNN.
41. ^ "Mass shooting on the Las Vegas Strip — TIMELINE". Las Vegas Review-Journal. October 2, 2017. Archived from the original on October 5, 2017.
42. ^ Bosman, Julie; Harmon, Amy; Hauser, Christine; Bidgood, Jess; Astor, Maggie (October 2, 2017). "Las Vegas Shooting Victims: The Full List". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
43. ^ Mullany, Gerry; Goldman, Russell (October 2, 2017). "Multiple Weapons Found in Las Vegas Gunman's Hotel Room". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
44. ^ Velotta, Richard (June 3, 2016). "Monte Carlo will transform to Park MGM in $450M makeover". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
45. ^ Akers, Mick (May 9, 2018). "Old Monte Carlo becomes the new Park MGM". Las Vegas Sun. Archived from the original on May 10, 2018.
46. ^ Tauer, Kristen (October 12, 2018). "The High Stakes of NoMad Las Vegas". WWD. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
47. ^ "6 dead in downtown Las Vegas apartment fire". Las Vegas Review-Journal. December 21, 2019. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
48. ^ nvhealthresponse.nv.gov/state-information/press-releases/
49. ^ 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.
50. ^ 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.
51. ^ 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.
52. ^ a b c Brewer, Ray (February 6, 2023). "Southern Nevada's big year ahead culminates decade of growth in the Valley". VegasInc. Archived from the original on February 6, 2023. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
53. ^ "Golden Knights' Stanley Cup championship among highlights of 2023 in NHL | NHL.com". www.nhl.com. December 24, 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2025.
54. ^ Traveler, Condé Nast (July 10, 2024). "At Fontainebleau Las Vegas, Luxury is a Sure Bet". Condé Nast Traveler. Retrieved April 30, 2025.

### Works cited

[edit]

* 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
* 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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