History, books and films (page 2)
Vegas history and legends, and the books, films and records about the city.
Las Vegas Then & Now
Las Vegas Then & Now By Su Kim Chung This is a pictoral history of our favorite city from it's roots as a railroad outpost, to the mega-tourist destination that it is today.
Las Vegas in the 50s: Glitz, Glamour & Games
Fabulous Las Vegas in the 50s: Glitz, Glamour & Games by Fred E. Basten and Charles Phoenix The 50s were the most formative years for Las Vegas. This is a pictoral look at that magnificent time.
Lonely Planet Best Of Las Vegas
Lonely Planet Best Of Las Vegas By Andrew Dean Nystrom This is the perfect pocket guidebook to Las Vegas.
Las Vegas with Kids
Las Vegas with Kids, 2nd Edition Bob Sehlinger with Lisa Derrick Believe it or not, there is plenty to do in Vegas for kids of all ages. No need to leave them at home at all.
Las Vegas Firsts
Brush up your Las Vegas history with these Las Vegas firsts! The first hotel/casino in Las Vegas: The Meadows The first hotel in Las Vegas to install an elevator: The Apache Hotel The first downtown…
Do You Know the Casino in the Movie Rain Man?
There was a prominent Strip casino featured in the 1988 movie Rain Man. If you saw the movie, you'll remember Dustin Hoffman as an autistic card-counting blackjack player .
1955: The Moulin Rouge
The Moulin Rouge opened in 1955. It relished great success for eight months including being a cover girl for LIFE magazine. Boxing legend Joe Louis was the official greeter and one of the owners.
1951: Vegas Vic
Vic was the first of three neon cowboys that was went up in 1951. It cost $25,000 and was the most famous sign Young Electric Sign Company (YESCO) ever created.
1984: The Falling of the Sign
To the protest of Vegas nostalgia lovers, Steve Wynn took down one of Vegas' most revered neon signs - The Golden Nugget.
Historical Neon Signs in Las Vegas
The Neon Museum sponsors a walking tour of historic neon signs from Las Vegas's yesteryear.
1977: $1 Billion
Clark County breaks a new record with gaming revenues passing the $1 billion mark. Sadly, in this same year, Elvis Presley died on August 16.
1971: Lady Card Dealers
The first female card dealers were hired in 1971. Union Plaza, Downtown and Silver Slipper, located on the Las Vegas Strip , were the first casinos to introduce them.
1960: It's All About the Rat Pack
Frank Sinatra and the legendary "Rat Pack," including Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford debuted their "Summit" performance at the Sands.
1966: Hail Caesar!
Caesars Palace opened on August 5 in 1966. It opened with 700 rooms and a grand opening that set the bar for all other parties.
1959: Tourism, Here We Come
The Las Vegas Convention Center opened the same year that the Nevada Gaming Commission was instituted. The first group to meet were 5,000 delegates from the World Congress of Flight.
1946: The Famous Flamingo
Mob-man-turned-hotelier Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel named his $6 million treasure, the Flamingo , after his girlfriend, Virginia Hill, who was a long-legged redhead.
1941: The Beginnings of The Strip
The first hotel on the Strip was founded on April 3, 1941, by Thomas E. Hull. El Rancho was built on Highway 91, also called the Los Angeles Highway.
1931: Hoover What?
Construction on Boulder Dam began in 1931. Boulder Dam, you say? That's what they had planned to call it as the original site for the dam was actually 10 miles north upriver at Boulder Canyon.
1905: Going Once, Going Twice....
On May 15, 1905, railroad tycoon William Clark held a two-day, 110-acre auction on the corner of Fremont Street and Main Street. Three-thousand bidders were present; some arrived by train.
1829: Vegas Beginnings
Las Vegas was discovered by Spanish explorers in 1829 when a 60-man party veered off the Spanish Trail on their way to Los Angeles.
Wayne Newton, Baby!
If you have to ask "who?" then you can consider this Vegas legend uber-retro. Wayne Newton was 15 when he started performing at the Fremont Hotel in 1959 with his brother Jerry.