Facts About Nevada and Fun Facts about Las Vegas

Symbols of the State of Nevada:

State Nickname - The Silver State
State Motto - "All For Our Country"
State Colors - Silver and Blue
State Metal - Silver
State Precious Gemstone - Black Fire Opal
State Flower - Sagebrush
State Bird - Mountain Bluebird
State Reptile - Desert Tortoise
State Animal - Desert Bighorn Sheep
State Tree - Pinon Pine and Bristlecone Pine
State Fish - Lahontan Cutthroat Trout
State Rock - Sandstone
State Song - "Homes Means Nevada" by Mrs. Bertha Rafferto
State Capital - Carson City, selected in 1864
State Flag - Colbalt blue background with a five pointed state, two sprays of sagebrush and a golden scroll with "Battle Born". The flag was adopted on March 26, 1929 and revised in 1991

Las Vegas FUN FACTS:

• The city of Las Vegas celebrated its 100th birthday on May 15, 2005. The event celebrated the May 15, 1905 land auction when 110 acres of land in downtown Las Vegas were auctioned off.
• A 1910 law made it illegal to gamble in Las Vegas.
• The Nevada Legislature later approved a legalized gambling bill in 1931.
• The first hotel and casino to open in Las Vegas was the Golden Gate Hotel and Casino in 1906.
• The Hoover Dam just outside Las Vegas, was completed in 1935.
• Hoover Dam took a total of 21,000 men five years to complete the structure.
• The Moulin Rouge, Las Vegas' first racially integrated hotel, opened in 1955.
• In 1957, topless showgirls debuted on the Las Vegas Strip in “Minsky’s Follies” at the Dunes.
• The famous “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign was created in 1959 by Betty Willis.
• More than 5,000 people move into the Las Vegas valley on a monthly basis.
• Las Vegas is home to Clark County School District, the fifth largest school district, which currently handles more than 280,000 students.
• The famous Las Vegas strip is for the most part, not within the city limits of Las Vegas.
• The majority of the strip is located within Clark County.
• The Stratosphere Hotel and Tower, at more than 1,100 feet, is the tallest building west of the Mississippi and the fifth tallest building in the United States.
• A marriage license costs $55 in Nevada. Many couples choose to marry in Nevada because there is no blood test or waiting period.
• Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas was closed to traffic in 1994.
• The Fremont Street Experience in the heart of downtown Las Vegas opened in December 1995.

Sources: Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority and the
Clark County School District