UNLV history department chair Michael Green said Stephanie Street “bridges the older part of Henderson, the part that was associated with the 40s and 50s when that was developing, and all of the things that have gone on since.” He added, “Its growth reflects Henderson’s growth.”

How to describe Sammy Davis, Jr., in just a few words? Maybe the best way came from the mother of the historian who writes this program. His parents got married in Las Vegas in 1964. They stayed at the Sahara, where Tony Bennett was in the showroom, but they went down the street to see Sammy at the Sands. He asked his mother if they saw another show. She replied, “Once you’ve seen Sammy Davis, Jr., you don’t need to see another show.”

The building will be demolished on Thursday, March 5, Boyd Gaming confirmed.

Valentine’s Day is a day for flowers, cards and chocolate, but the history of the lover’s holiday may be much darker. Valentine’s Day is a day for flowers, cards and chocolate, but the history of the lover’s holiday may be much darker.

The Valentine’s Day we recognize today started around the late 18th century. The tradition had solidified in England and spread to the United States, with people writing poetry and hand-making cards, according to Elizabeth White Nelson, a University of Nevada, Las Vegas history professor.

The holiday's roots stretch back centuries, long before commercial greeting cards existed.

The New Testament of the Bible mentions saints around 100 times, depending on the version you’re reading. However, the term typically refers to Christians or the church, rather than a specific saint, according to the online Christian resource Got Questions Ministries. Although this might be why the namesake of St. Valentine’s Day is not mentioned in the Bible, the religious ties to the February holiday are even more complicated.

Sammy Davis, Jr. was a true giant of entertainment. For nearly half a century, he was a Las Vegas fixture.

Although St. Valentine lends his name to Valentine’s Day, he did not become known as the patron saint of lovers until hundreds of years after his death. The third-century priest lived during a time when Christians were persecuted for their religious beliefs. Records and historic liturgical calendars indicate he was martyred, though what exactly led to his murder is a bit murky.

Much like the origins of Valentine’s Day, the real identity of St. Valentine remains a bit of a mystery. The holiday’s namesake, a martyred priest, actually could have been one of multiple men. Although many think of him as the patron saint of lovers, this reputation likely began centuries after his death.

On a fall night in 1982, mob figure Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal was almost blown up outside a Tony Roma’s in Las Vegas – a harrowing attack portrayed in the opening scene of “Casino.”

More than 40 years after the infamous car bombing, the Tony Roma’s building is home to a sex-toy shop, and a neighboring former Marie Callender’s is boarded-up. Now the plaza itself where Rosenthal was nearly killed in a suspected mob hit has been sold.

Most holidays have pretty clear origin stories and reasons for their celebration. But Valentine’s Day has a complicated history. February 14, a date we now associate as a Hallmark holiday with hearts, flowers, cards and grand gestures, was not always a day of love.