Las Vegas
Las Vegas, often known as Sin City or simply Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-largest in the Southwestern United States. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city, known primarily for its gambling, shopping, fine dining, entertainment, and nightlife, with most venues centered on downtown Las Vegas and more to the Las Vegas Strip just outside city limits. The Las Vegas Valley as a whole serves as the leading financial, commercial, and cultural center for Nevada. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city had 641,903 residents in 2020, with a metropolitan population of 2,227,053, making it the 25th-most populous city in the United States.
Some of the key events about Las Vegas
- 1905The city of Las Vegas was officially founded as a railroad town
- 1905A railroad strike led to violence and property destruction in the young town
- 1931Nevada legalized gambling, paving the way for Las Vegas to become a major casino destination
- 1931Construction of the Hoover Dam led to a surge in organized crime and prostitution
- 1941The first hotel-casino on what would become the Las Vegas Strip opened
- 1941A deadly fire at the El Rancho Vegas hotel killed six people
- 1955The Moulin Rouge Hotel became the first desegregated hotel-casino in Las Vegas
- 1955Above-ground nuclear weapons testing at the nearby Nevada Test Site began, exposing residents to radiation
- 1966Howard Hughes arrived in Las Vegas and began purchasing numerous hotels and casinos, sparking a corporate era in the city
- 1969The International Hotel (now Westgate Las Vegas) opened as the world's largest hotel
- 1980The MGM Grand Hotel fire killed 85 people, becoming one of the worst high-rise fires in U.S. history
- 1988A fire at the Pepcon rocket fuel plant caused massive explosions, killing two and injuring hundreds
- 1989The Mirage opened, ushering in the era of the mega-resort on the Las Vegas Strip
- 1993The Luxor Las Vegas opened, featuring a distinctive pyramid shape and becoming an iconic part of the city skyline
- 1998The Bellagio opened, setting a new standard for luxury on the Las Vegas Strip
- 2008The Great Recession severely impacted Las Vegas, leading to high unemployment and a housing market crash
- 2009CityCenter opened as the largest privately funded construction project in U.S. history at the time
- 2011A helicopter crash near Lake Mead killed five people, including tourists
- 2017A mass shooting at a music festival on the Las Vegas Strip killed 60 people and injured hundreds more
- 2020The COVID-19 pandemic led to unprecedented casino closures and economic devastation in the city
Disclaimer: This material is written based on information taken from open sources, including Wikipedia, news media, podcasts, and other public sources.
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