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'Las Vegas' is Spanish for 'the meadows'.
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In 1844 John C. Freemont led pioneers to the area, and Freemont Street in Las Vegas is named after him.
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A fort that was built in Las Vegas in 1855 called the Old Mormon Fort can still be seen at the intersection of Washington Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard.
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In 1905 Las Vegas was founded as a city. In 1911 it was incorporated.
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In 1931 gambling and casinos were legalized. The construction of Hoover Dam began nearby and the workers and their families helped to grow the city.
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After World War II ended the big casinos and entertainment venues began to symbolize Las Vegas.
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The first racially integrated hotel-casino in Las Vegas was opened in the 1950s, called the Moulin Rouge.
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In 1965 nuclear testing began only 65 miles from Las Vegas.
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In the 1960s it became popular for businesses and corporations to add casinos to their portfolios.
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Las Vegas has become so popular that more than 41 million people visit the city every year.
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It is estimated that approximately 34% of the thefts or cheating that goes on in casinos in Las Vegas are committed by the staff.
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There is a black book of names in Las Vegas of the people who are never allowed into a casino in Vegas.
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The mobster Bugsy Siegel named The Flamingo casino after his girlfriend - a showgirl with very long legs.
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At the Excalibur casino a 25 year old won $39 million after putting $100 into the slots.
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Legend Elvis Presley played 837 consecutive sold out shows at the LVH (formerly the Las Vegas Hilton).
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The sphinx at the Luxor is 101 feet taller than the original Great Sphinx of Giza.
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More than 60,000 pounds of shrimp are consumed in Las Vegas every day.
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There is estimated to be one slot machine in Las Vegas for every eight residents of the city.
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Las Vegas' MGM Grand Hotel and Casino is the 2nd largest hotel in the world by number of rooms, and largest in the United States.
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More than 300 weddings take place each day in Las Vegas.
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There is an estimated 1000 homeless people living in the tunnels underneath the city of Las Vegas.
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There are approximately 310 days of sunshine each year in Las Vegas. Tornados are not an issue in this section of the Mojave desert basin.
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