1. In 1865, General James H. Carleton arrived in Nevada and established a military post at Fort Churchill. The fort played an important role in the Indian Wars and served as a supply depot for troops fighting against the Paiute, Shoshone, and other tribes in the region.

2. On April 16, 1934, the first flight from Los Angeles to Las Vegas took place. The plane, a Ford Tri-Motor, carried six passengers and made the 280-mile trip in just over two hours. This marked the beginning of commercial air travel to Las Vegas, which would help usher in a new era of tourism for the city.

3. In 1942, the government announced plans to build a military training facility in Nevada, which would become the site of the Nevada Test and Training Range. The facility would be used for nuclear weapons testing, as well as training exercises for the Air Force, Army, Navy, and Marines.

4. In 1960, the city of Reno was hit by a powerful earthquake that measured 6.1 on the Richter scale. The quake caused extensive damage to buildings and infrastructure in the city, and was felt throughout much of western Nevada and eastern California. Thankfully, there were no fatalities.

5. On April 16, 1984, the Hoover Dam Bypass Project was officially approved by the federal government. The project would involve the construction of a new bridge over the Colorado River, which would alleviate traffic congestion on the dam's existing roadway. The bypass was completed in 2010 and is now known as the Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge.