Timeline of Las Vegas

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

1900s–1950s

 * 1900
 * The population of Las Vegas, five years before it is founded as a city, is 22.
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * 1906
 * Golden Gate Hotel, f/k/a Hotel Nevada and Sal Sagev Hotel, in business.
 * 1906
 * Las Vegas and Tonopah Railroad built.
 * 1909
 * Las Vegas becomes seat of Clark County.
 * Clark County Review newspaper begins publication.
 * Las Vegas Evening Review and Journal newspaper in publication.
 * 1910
 * Victory Hotel in business.
 * 1911
 * June 1: Citizens of Las Vegas vote 168 to 57 in favor of incorporation.
 * 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".
 * 1920
 * Population: 2,304.
 * 1930
 * Population: 5,165.
 * 1931
 * Gambling legalized.
 * Hoover Dam construction begins near Las Vegas.
 * 1933
 * Post Office built.
 * 1934
 * Helldorado festival begins.




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


 * 1944
 * Huntridge Theater built.
 * 1946
 * Flamingo Hotel 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.
 * 1950
 * Population: 24,624.
 * U.S. military Nellis Air Force Base dedicated.
 * Las Vegas Morning Sun newspaper begins publication.
 * Desert Inn casino in business.




 * 1951
 * Binion's Horseshoe casino in business.
 * 1952
 * Unitarian Universalist Congregation founded.
 * 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.
 * 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 established.
 * Tropicana in business on the Strip.
 * 1958
 * Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada established.
 * 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

 * 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.




 * 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.
 * Nevada's first independent station, KVVU-TV, signs on in nearby Henderson.
 * 1968
 * Circus Circus in business on the Strip.
 * KLVX, Nevada's first ETV station, signs on.
 * 1970
 * Population: 125,787.
 * 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.
 * 1981
 * Cinedome movie theatre in business.
 * 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.
 * 1983
 * Harry Reid becomes U.S. representative for Nevada's 1st congressional district.
 * 1984
 * Spanish Trail Country Club opens.
 * Meadows School established.
 * 1985
 * Paradise 6 cinema in business.
 * 1989
 * Mirage casino in business on the Strip.


 * 1990
 * Guinness World Records Museum established.
 * Population: 258,295; metro 741,459.
 * Excalibur casino in business on the Strip.
 * 1992
 * Cannon Aviation Museum established near city.
 * 1993
 * MGM Grand, Treasure Island, and Luxor casinos in business on the Strip.
 * Las Vegas Business Press begins publication.
 * Defcon hacker convention begins.
 * 1994
 * Zen Center founded.
 * 1995
 * 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).
 * 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.
 * A flood strikes on July 8, killing two people, damaging 353 homes, and causing $20 million in public property damage.
 * 2000
 * Population: 478,434.
 * Aladdin Casino rebuilt on the Strip.



21st century

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




 * 2004
 * Las Vegas Urban League established.
 * 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
 * Palazzo casino in business on the Strip.
 * 2008
 * Encore casino in business on the Strip.




 * 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.
 * Population: 583,756; metro 1,951,269.
 * Cosmopolitan casino in business on the Strip.
 * 2011
 * Sahara Hotel closes for business.
 * Carolyn Goodman becomes mayor.
 * Population: 589,317; metro 1,969,975.
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * Riviera Hotel and Casino imploded.
 * 2017
 * Celebrity Chumlee grand opening, a candy store from an icon at Pawn Stars Pawn Plaza.
 * 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.
 * 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.  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.
 * 2020
 * Hard Rock Hotel and Casino closes for business.
 * COVID-19 arrives at the city, impacting the economy
 * 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.
 * 2021
 * Hard Rock Hotel reopens as Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.
 * Resorts World Las Vegas opens on the former site of the Stardust.
 * 2023
 * Sphere at The Venetian Resort opened near the Strip.
 * Las Vegas Grand Prix took place on and near the Strip.
 * 2024
 * Super Bowl LVIII took place at Allegiant Stadium.
 * Tropicana Las Vegas closed after 67 years of operation.