1. In 1871, the first issue of the Virginia City newspaper, the Territorial Enterprise, was published. The paper became famous for launching the literary career of Mark Twain.

2. On January 18, 1997, the Luxor Hotel and Casino opened on the Las Vegas Strip. The hotel's 30-story pyramid structure features a light beam that is one of the strongest in the world and can be seen from space.

3. In 1938, the Boulder Dam Hotel opened in Boulder City. The hotel was built to house government officials overseeing the construction of Hoover Dam and served as a respite for celebrities such as Shirley Temple and Bette Davis.

4. On January 18, 1989, former baseball player and convicted criminal Pete Rose was inducted into the Nevada Gaming Control Board's Black Book, which banned him from entering a Nevada casino.

5. In 1861, Nevada became the 36th state in the Union, becoming a crucial addition during the Civil War. Its silver and gold resources helped fund the Union's efforts, and Nevada sent troops to the battlefront.