Category: On This Date

On This Date: October 15, 1993, The Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas Opened

October 15, 2017
Luxor Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas

Luxor Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas opened on October 15, 1993

On this date October 15, 1993 the 120,000-square-foot casino and hotel opened at 4am. When it opened, the pyramid, which cost $375 million to build, was the tallest building, 365 feet, on the strip and contained 2,526 rooms and a 100,000 square ft. casino. In comparison, the Luxor stands at 365 feet tall where the Great Pyramid of Giza stands at 455 feet tall. The Luxor is located at the south end of the strip at 3900 S. Las Vegas Blvd. next to the Excalibur near Tropicana Ave.

The hotel was expanded with two additional hotel towers nearing 2,000 rooms in 1998 giving the resort a total of 4,407 rooms. The tip of the pyramid contains a fixed-position spotlight that points directly upward and is claimed to be the brightest beam in the world at over 42.3 billion candle power. Currently owned and operated by MGM Resorts International.

Original Photo by: Mark Wagner (Creative Commons Attribution 2.5)
Source: Wikipedia.org

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On This Date, August 29, 2007 runaway chlorine tank car rolls through Las Vegas

August 29, 2017
Actual Photo of Chlorine Tank

Actual Photo of Chlorine Tank

On this day August 29, 2007, a runaway chlorine tank car traveled approximately 22 miles through the heart of Las Vegas. The tank car hit a top speed of 50 mph before stopping in the Northern part of Las Vegas. The tank car was fully-loaded with chlorine, a toxic irritating chemical. The tank care had broken free from a rail yard on the South end of the Las Vegas Valley around 9 a.m. The tanker’s speed reached 50 mph. Fortunately no one was hurt and there was no damage or leak of chlorine during the incident.

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On This Date: August 28, 2000 The Desert Inn Closes

August 28, 2017
Desert Inn Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas

Desert Inn Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas Closed on August 28, 2000

The Desert Inn was a hotel/casino that operated from April 24, 1950, to August 28, 2000. It was the fifth resort to open on the Las Vegas Strip. The property included an 18-hole golf course. Locals nicknamed the resort “The D.I.” or just “D.I.”.

The Desert Inn’s most famous guest, businessman Howard Hughes, arrived on Thanksgiving Day in 1966, renting the hotel’s entire top two floors and then later bought the resort when asked to vacate.

The Desert Inn has appeared in many movies including: The 1960 film version of Ocean’s 11 and last use in the film Rush Hour 2. The hotel served as the primary backdrop for the TV show Vegas which aired on ABC from 1978 to 1981. The lead character, Dan Tanna, was portrayed by Robert Urich.

The D.I. Was imploded on November 16, 2004. to make way for the Wynn and Encore resorts.

Photo by: Wikimedia Commons

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On This Date: August 23, 2014 – SLS, Little League, Lion’s Share Jackpot

August 23, 2017
SLS hotel and casino opens in Las Vegas

SLS Hotel and Casino Las Vegas opened on August 23, 2014

HOTEL
Midnight on August 23, 2014, the former Sahara Hotel, the SLS, re-opened after a $415 million renovation. The Sahara hotel closed on May 16, 2011.

SPORTS
The Mountain Ridge All Stars Little League team loses the championship game, (7-5) to Chicago during the Little League World Series. This was the first time ever that a team from Nevada had made it to the World Series.

GAMING
The 20 year old slot machine at the MGM Grand, called the “Lion’s Share”, finally hit its long awaited progressive jackpot of over 2.4 million. The jackpot was hit by Walter and Linda Misco from New Hampshire. The slot machine was install in the 1990’s and had a cult like following as players queued in long lines to play. Now that the machine has paid out its jackpot it will be retired. The MGM Grand is considering letting the Misco’s take the winning machine.

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On This Date: July 25, 2015 Fire at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas

July 25, 2017
Cosmopolitan Las Vegas Fire July 25, 2015

On July 25, 2015, a fire erupted on the 14th floor pool deck of the Cosmopolitan Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. The fire was reported approximately 12:15pm and was extinguished in about 30 minutes.

The fire torched artificial trees and cabanas at the Bamboo Pool on the west side of the hotel, but made little impact inside the building. Large plumes of thick black smoke ccould be seen from all parts of the valley.  All 3000 guests where evacuated from the hotel. Two people were treated for smoke inhalation. One of those patients , one was transported to the hospital.

Cosmopolitan Las Vegas Fire July 25, 2015

Inspectors were not able to find conclusive evidence of what caused the fire at the Cosmopolitan Las Vegas pool on that day in July, but evidence points to cigarette butts dropped, perhaps, from one of the balconies above the pool area.

The fire resulted in damage, a couple of minor injuries, but no deaths. Estimation of damages was $2 million dollars.

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On This Date: July 25,1991 the Southern Nevada Water Authority was Formed

Panoramic View of Lake Mead

On This Date: July 25, 1991, the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) was formed. Seven local water agencies formed SNWA to address water issues on a regional basis.

Photo By: LasVegas360.com
Information Source: http://leg.state.nv.us/SpecialActs/31-SNevadaRegionalPlanning.html

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