1. On September 15, 1850, California officially became a state, and the territory of Nevada was created. This decision was made under the Compromise of 1850, which allowed California to join the Union as a free state while also establishing Nevada as a slave state.

2. The first public school in Nevada opened its doors on September 15, 1862, in Virginia City. The school was originally located in the Clifton House, and its first teacher was a man named J.L. Campbell.

3. In 1939, Nevada Governor Fred Balzar signed a bill legalizing gambling in the state. This decision paved the way for the rise of Las Vegas as a gambling and entertainment capital, and it remains one of the defining moments in Nevada's history.

4. September 15, 1954, was a major day for the U.S. Air Force, as the first flight of the B-52 Stratofortress, a long-range bomber, took place at the Boeing plant in Seattle. The B-52 would eventually become a key part of the U.S. nuclear deterrent strategy, and many of these planes were stationed at Nevada's Nellis Air Force Base.

5. On September 15, 2012, boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. defeated Miguel Cotto in a highly anticipated fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Mayweather, who was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, has become one of the most successful boxers of all time and has fought many of his biggest matches in Nevada.