In The News: Department of History

By the late 1770s, people had been commemorating the anniversary of St. Patrick’s death – reputedly on March 17, 461 – for over a thousand years. Irish immigrants brought the tradition with them when they moved to North America, and officers in the Continental Army regularly used the holiday to bring glimmers of cheer to their cold and gloomy camps.

After resolving a legal case in Nevada and serving years in a Virginia prison, the operative is working for a congressional candidate.

When the Eastside Cannery debuted in summer 2008, hundreds of people waited outside to get in Las Vegas’ newest hotel-casino on opening night. Some waited a few hours to explore the $250 million project on Boulder Highway.

The real thing—John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr—arrived at McCarran airport on August 20, 1964, at about 1 a.m. A car took them to the Sahara, where they stayed in a suite—literally. About two thousand fans had come to greet them. Local officials didn’t want them going to casinos because they feared that their underage fans would follow them and get into trouble. The only outsiders to get in were a reporter and photographer from the Las Vegas Sun. One of them showed Ringo how to make the television set work.

Few structures shaped the modern American West like Hoover Dam. Rising from Black Canyon in the 1930s, the massive concrete arch structure, finished in the Art Deco style of the era, tamed the Colorado River, created Lake Mead and helped power a growing Southwest. But at the time, its importance to Southern Nevada was less about water and more about survival.

Heightened tensions tied to the conflict in the Middle East, along with a recent shooting in Austin that left at least two people dead last weekend, have prompted renewed warnings from former FBI officials about the risk of terrorism and the importance of reporting suspicious behavior.
The social meaning of clothes can and does change. According to Deirdre Clemente, a fashion and culture historian, the emergence of the suit as the standard for men in the 18th and 19th centuries was itself a rebellion against the ornate, flashy and colorful clothing associated with aristocracy. Yet by the 20th century, it had become the default for powerful leaders, worn by presidents, CEOs and even coaches.

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.
