Recent Stories (view all stories)

A Gamble in the Sand

How Las Vegas transformed itself from a railroad watering hole to the 'Entertainment Capital of the World'

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Despite the pull of its gaming and glamour, this city is like many other major metropolises — a community that cares about its citizens, relishes its own distinct economic and social roles, and offers individuals the ability to fulfill and flourish within their own desires and dreams. And the small railroad town that was formed a little more than 100 years ago didn’t become “The Entertainment Capital of the World” on pure luck, either.

Mob Ties

Thursday, May 15, 2008

They were law enforcement’s pests and the casino industry’s parasites, arriving in Las Vegas as the feds cracked down on gambling coast to coast. They were the mob — gangsters, hoodlums, thieves, small men — Las Vegas’ founding fathers. Their influence locally lasted about half a century, although their impact on those formative years will forever be threaded into the tapestry of Las Vegas’ lore and history.

Desert highway turned destination

Thursday, May 15, 2008

A small slice of the once humble Highway 91, a two-lane road that offered an arduous trip between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City, has become one of the most famous streets in the world: the Las Vegas Strip.

Tying the knot with ease or Elvis

'Wedding Capital' offers variety of ceremonies, themes

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Each couple coming to Las Vegas to wed has a unique reason.

Whether the ceremony is spur of the moment or needs an Elvis, Gothic or Star Trek theme, this 24/7 town offers a round-the-clock wedding schedule, including drive-through services at some chapels — great for those celebrities in hiding.

Las Vegas weather can be a gamble

Snow, flash floods, and even tornadoes shake up normal heat wave

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Experimental computer models tell scientists that the jet stream, the river of air flowing around the world, could mean drier conditions in the southern tier of the United States, according to Kelly Redmond, regional climatologist with the Desert Research Institute's Western Regional Climate Center in Reno.

Conscience of the community

Sun founder Hank Greenspun fought for little guy; left lasting legacy

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Where in the world was Hank Greenspun?

Show and (a lot to) tell

Number of showgirls may be shrinking, but their iconic stories live on

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Behind the glitz, the glamour and the greasepaint, Las Vegas showgirls created an image of “Sin City” second to none.

Elvis has yet to leave the building

Despite his untimely death 30 years ago, The King's legacy in Las Vegas lives on through tribute artists, impersonators and even 'Flying Elvi'

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Elvis Presley’s opening night on July 26, 1969, at the International Hotel (now the Las Vegas Hilton) had Las Vegas Sun columnist Ralph Pearl eating crow.

Rat Pack reveled in Vegas; revered by the world

Thursday, May 15, 2008

As improbable as this elegant quintet’s launch in the desert seems, the Rat Pack attracted an avalanche of followers around the world in the early 1960s.

Showtime: How Sin City evolved into 'The Entertainment Capital of the World'

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Before central air conditioning and eye-catching neon lights, the Las Vegas Strip entertainment scene started in the western-themed El Rancho Vegas, a motor lodge located on Highway 91.

(view all stories)