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Prologue

June 30

July 1

Six Days in Sin City
100 Years of Sin City - A Brief Las Vegas History

1905 - 1915
Both the City of Las Vegas and Clark County are established. The Golden Gate Hotel opens in 1906; it is still a downtown fixture today.
1915 - 1925
A 24-hour electricity service comes to Las Vegas.
1925 - 1935
The Nevada legislature legalizes gambling and speedy divorce. Near Boulder City, the Hoover Dam is constructed over a four-year period during the worst of the Great Depression.
1935 - 1945
The El Cortez Hotel opens downtown. Clark County's population reaches 16,414; the City of Las Vegas grows to 8,422.
1945 - 1955
Gangster Bugsy Siegel opens the Flamingo Hotel on the Strip; the Golden Nugget opens downtown. The Sahara, Sands, Riviera, Stardust, Dunes, and Tropicana open during the early 1950s. Las Vegas begins to grow as a tourist destination.

1955 - 1965
Rat Pack legends Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, Sammy Davis Jr. and Joey Bishop take the stage for the first time at the Sands. Clark County's population reaches 127,016; the City of Las Vegas grows to 64,405.
1965 - 1975
Howard Hughes arrives in Las Vegas and moves into the 9th floor of the Desert Inn. Caesars Palace opens - a Vegas monument. Elvis and Priscilla Presley are married at the Aladdin Hotel in 1967.
1975 - 1985
Gaming revenues exceed $1 billion. The first National Rodeo Finals are held in Las Vegas. Clark County's population reaches 463,087; the City of Las Vegas grows to 164,674.
1985 - 1995
The Mirage, Excalibur, Luxor, Treasure Island, and MGM Grand casino resorts open on the Strip. The Fremont Street Experience opens in 1995, revitalizing the downtown scene.
1995 - 2005
The Monte Carlo, New York-New York, Bellagio, Mandalay Bay, the Four Seasons Las Vegas, the Venetian, and Paris Las Vegas casino-resorts open on the Strip. Annual visits to Las Vegas exceed the 37-million mark. Clark County's population reaches 1,498,274, while the City of Las Vegas grows to 506,111.
June 30, 2005
Tom Carpenter of TomAroundTheWorld.com and Sven O'Neil arrive in Las Vegas for Centennial Celebration. Things in Sin City will never be the same...