1. Nevada Became a State on October 31
Although Nevada was granted statehood on October 31, 1864, there were several important milestones leading up to that date. The territory of Nevada had been created by Congress three years earlier in 1861, during the Civil War. Nevada's admission as a state helped to balance the number of free states and slave states at the time.

2. The MGM Grand Hotel Fire Occurred on October 1, 1980
On October 1, 1980, a major fire broke out at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. The fire is believed to have started in a deli on the ground floor, and quickly spread to the upper floors of the hotel. The fire killed 85 people and injured more than 700 others. The fire remains one of the deadliest hotel fires in U.S. history.

3. Nevada was the Site of Nuclear Testing for Decades
From 1951 to 1992, Nevada was the site of 928 nuclear tests, conducted by the U.S. government. The majority of these tests were conducted underground, but some were conducted in the atmosphere. The tests were largely conducted in order to develop better nuclear weapons, and to study the effects of nuclear radiation.

4. The First Legalized Brothel Opened in Nevada in 1971
Although Nevada is known for its legal gambling, it is also one of the few states in the U.S. that allows legal prostitution. On October 1, 1971, the first legalized brothel opened in Nevada, the "Mustang Ranch" in Storey County. Since then, several other brothels have opened in Nevada, although they remain highly controversial.

5. Nevada is the Only State With a Mandatory Single-Sentence Constitution
Nevada's state constitution is unique in that it contains only one sentence, which reads: "We the people of the State of Nevada, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom in establishing this Constitution, by which we hope to secure its blessings, insure domestic tranquility, and form a more perfect government, do establish this Constitution." Despite its brevity, the Nevada constitution has been amended more than 100 times since it was first adopted in 1864.