I bet you did not know all of these 10 Nevada (Day) facts… or maybe you did

Next week, October 28, 2022, is Nevada Day. With it being less than a week away, I wanted to take this opportunity to talk about 10 Nevada (Day) facts. Some facts will be about Nevada Day and a couple will be about Nevada in general, but will be in congruence with what Nevada Day is all about.

1. Nevada Day is a big deal – From the carnival to parades, the celebration of Nevada Day is a sight to behold. It’s a family event meant to preserve the meaning of the day. The parade itself even includes activities such as rock drilling and a beard contest…
2. Nevada Day is a state public holiday – Just like Alaska Day, Nevada Day is celebrated at a state level. Schools, county offices and a fair share of banks and businesses close on Nevada Day.
3. Nevada “helped” President Abe Lincoln – Lincoln was more than happy to declare the former territory a state. He felt he needed every vote he could get for re-election. However, their votes did not count and he won by an electoral college landslide.
4. Nevada was first to ratify the 15th amendment – On March 1, 1869 – just five years after becoming a US state – Nevada got rid of the 15th amendment. What did this mean? It meant African-American men were granted the right to vote.
5. Nevada Day celebrates Nevada’s statehood – Just three years after becoming a territory and five years after Henry Comstock discovered gold in the land, Nevada was granted statehood. They are the 36th state.
6. 213,800 – This was the peak number of slot machines this gambling-heavy state had back in 2000. There was once a slot machine for every 10 residents, and there are currently over 160,000 machines in the state.
7. Nevada made gambling illegal – That’s right. The state that is known for its gambling once had it outlawed. It did not stop too many people from gambling even when it was not legal, however.
8. Nevada is the most mountainous state – With 150 named mountain ranges and over 30 peaks, Nevada has the most mountains out of all states. On top of this, the 36th state has eight major mountain ranges.
9. Nevada is “Battle Born” – On top of this being Nevada’s state slogan, their state song is “Home Sweet Nevada.” They also have a sheep as their state animal, a trout as their state fish and a tortoise as their state reptile.
10. Nevada actually means “snow-covered” – Nevada is a Spanish word meaning “snow-covered.” This should not be surprising considering it is the most mountainous state.

With Nevada Day coming up, knowing some of these facts could be vital in brushing up on your history lessons. Let’s show our appreciation for the 36th state in the US.