1. Las Vegas was founded on July 9, 1905. Originally a stopover for travelers going to and from Salt Lake City, Las Vegas quickly grew in population with the arrival of railroad workers and miners.

2. On July 9, 1955, the Nevada Test Site (NTS) conducted its first atmospheric nuclear test, code-named “Trinity.” Located about 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas, the NTS was a major testing ground for nuclear weapons during the Cold War.

3. The Hoover Dam, one of the largest and most famous dams in the world, was dedicated on July 9, 1935. The dam, which straddles the border of Arizona and Nevada, helps to control the Colorado River and provide electricity to millions of people in the region.

4. Nevada became the 36th state in the Union on October 31, 1864, but its actual date of admission is July 9, 1864. This is because Congress approved Nevada’s statehood on July 9, but the state did not officially join the Union until four months later.

5. July 9, 1877, is known as the “Great Railroad Strike of 1877.” Railroad workers across the country went on strike in protest of pay cuts and poor working conditions. In Nevada, the strike caused the delay of the Virginia and Truckee Railroad’s first train to Virginia City, a major mining town.