Timeline of Las Vegas

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

20th century 1900s–1950s

1900 Five years before the township was founded, the population was 22 people. 1902 Senator William A. Clark’s San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad (SPLA&SL) acquired Helen J. Stewart’s Las Vegas Ranch, obtaining right of way for the railroad line and facilities. Las Vegas was chosen as the division point for its water resources. 1905 January, In competition with the SPLA&SL Railroad, J. T. McWilliams sold subdivisions of called "McWilliams Original Las Vegas Townsite" in the area of today's Historic West Side. February, San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad begins operating. May 15, The land auction for Clark's Las Vegas Townsite by SPLA&SL Railroad, selling subdivisions of , marks the beginning of modern Las Vegas. 1906 Hotel Nevada opens, later known as Golden Gate Hotel Las Vegas and Tonopah Railroad built. 1908 The Las Vegas Age newspaper is bought by Charles Squires. He became the community's chief advocate for creation of Clark County, city incorporation, women's suffrage, and development of the Colorado River for power and water. 1909 Las Vegas becomes seat of Clark County. Clark County Review newspaper begins publication.. It later evolves into Las Vegas Evening Review and Journal. 1910 Victory Hotel opens. 1911 June 1: City of Las Vegas incorporated after citizens vote 168 to 57 in favor. Peter Buol is elected first mayor of Las Vegas, Stewart, VonTobel, McGovern and Gaughlin become city commissioners. 1920 Population: 2,304. 1930 Population: 5,165. 1931 Gambling legalized by the state of Nevada. Hoover Dam construction begins near Las Vegas. 1933 Post Office built. 1935 Helldorado festival begins. 1940 Population: 8,422. Las Vegas Union Pacific Station built. 1941 Las Vegas Army Airfield activated. El Rancho Vegas opens on US Route 91, south of Las Vegas, now recognized as the first resort on the Las Vegas Strip. El Rancho, El Cortez (1941), and Hotel Last Frontier (1942) mark the beginning of Las Vegas's new hospitality industry. 1943 Las Vegas YMCA active. 1944 Huntridge Theater opens. 1946 Flamingo Hotel and Golden Nugget casino open. 1948 The Desert Sea News Bureau, later renamed the Las Vegas News Bureau, is established to promote Las Vegas tourism. 1950 Population: 24,624. U.S. military Nellis Air Force Base dedicated. Las Vegas Morning Sun newspaper begins publication. Desert Inn casino opens.

1951 Binion's Horseshoe casino opens. 1952 Unitarian Universalist congregation founded. Sahara Hotel and Casino and 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 Las Vegas Air Force Station in use. Fremont Hotel opens. KSHO-TV (now KTNV-TV) signs on. 1957 University of Nevada, Las Vegas and United Way of Southern Nevada established. Tropicana opens on the Strip. 1958 Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada established. 1959 The Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign is built, by Western Neon, and designed by Betty Willis 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 opens. Caesars Palace casino opens 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 opens 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 opens. 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 opens. National Finals Rodeo is first held Las Vegas with the help of Benie Binion. 1989 Mirage casino opens on the Strip.

1990

Guinness World Records Museum is established. Population: 258,295; metro 741,459. Excalibur casino opens on the Strip. 1992 Cannon Aviation Museum established near city. 1993 MGM Grand, Treasure Island, and Luxor casinos open on the Strip. Las Vegas Business Press begins publication. Defcon hacker convention begins. 1994 Zen Center is founded. 1995 March: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino opens December: Fremont Street Experience officially opens The Las Vegas Monorail began service (then called the MGM Grand-Bally's Monorail until 2004)

1996 September: Murder of Tupac Shakur. Neon Museum is founded. Las Vegas CityLife weekly newspaper begins publication. Stratosphere and Monte Carlo casinos open on the Strip. 1997 January: New York-New York Hotel & Casino opens on the Strip. November: Mike Tyson bit off part of Evander Holyfield's ear during a boxing match at the MGM Garden Arena. 1998 Bellagio opens on the Strip. 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. 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

2000–2019

2001 Palms Casino opens near the Strip.

2004 Las Vegas Urban League established. 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.

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

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. Cosmopolitan casino opens on the Strip. 2011 Sahara Hotel closes. 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 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. 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. 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. The NoMad Las Vegas hotel opened on the top four floors of Park MGM in October, in affiliation with The NoMad in New York. 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.

2020–present 2020 Hard Rock Hotel and Casino closes. COVID-19 arrives at the city, impacting the economynvhealthresponse.nv.gov/state-information/press-releases/ 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 Virgin Hotels Las Vegas opens at former site of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Resorts World Las Vegas opens on the former site of the Stardust.

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

Timeline of Las Vegas

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