1. Nevada officially became a state on October 31, 1864, but it wasn't until December 30 of that year that President Abraham Lincoln signed the proclamation declaring Nevada a state.

2. Reno, Nevada was founded on May 9, 1868, but it wasn't until December 30, 1931, that gambling was legalized in the state. This paved the way for the creation of a booming casino industry in places like Las Vegas.

3. On December 30, 1986, the first pedestrian bridge over the Las Vegas strip was opened. The bridge connects the MGM Grand and Bally's casinos and has become an iconic feature of the Las Vegas landscape.

4. December 30, 1993, marked the opening of the Luxor Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The hotel's design, which features a large pyramid-shaped structure with a luminous sphinx at the entrance, quickly made it one of the most recognizable landmarks on the strip.

5. On December 30, 2008, the Nevada Film Office hosted a screening of the movie "Vegas Vampires" at the historic Capitol Theater in downtown Reno. The movie, which was shot entirely in Reno, went on to win multiple awards at film festivals around the world.