Nevada Yesterdays

Ruby Duncan rose from Louisiana cotton fields to become a Nevada force for change. Trace her early life and the roots of her welfare-rights activism.

From a seven-student schoolhouse in Elko in 1874 to nearly 22,000 students today, the full history of the University of Nevada, Reno — its founding, legendary faculty, championship athletes, and the leaders who shaped it.

Paul Laxalt served as Nevada's governor and U.S. senator, championed Ronald Reagan's rise, and left a legacy that transformed Nevada politics.

From his partnership with Jerry Lewis to the Rat Pack, the Sands, and the MGM Grand, Dean Martin was a Las Vegas fixture for decades. Host Michael Green traces the career of the laid-back crooner.

From UNLV's first library in 1957 to co-founding Joyce and Martin Advertising, Marydean Martin shaped southern Nevada for decades. Remembering a librarian, philanthropist, and community builder.

In August 1964, The Beatles played Las Vegas's Convention Center after Stan Irwin of the Sahara Hotel took a chance on the Fab Four. Up to 16,000 fans attended, launching the era of arena entertainment in Las Vegas.

Sammy Davis Jr. headlined the Las Vegas Strip but faced segregation, mob threats, and violence offstage. Part 2 of his Las Vegas story.

Sammy Davis Jr. headlined the Las Vegas Strip but faced segregation, mob threats, and violence offstage. Part 1 of his Las Vegas story.

Pat McCarran was Nevada's first native-born U.S. Senator and its most powerful 20th-century politician. Learn how he rose from underdog to Nevada Senator.

Rossi Ralenkotter spent 45 years at the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, creating the studies that shaped tourism strategy and helping land the city's biggest events.

Frank Sinatra's relationship with Las Vegas spanned decades—from his 1951 Desert Inn debut during career lows to leading the Rat Pack's legendary Summit at the Sands. His story intertwines with the city's own rise.

Robert Maxson clashed with Jerry Tarkanian—but he also transformed UNLV. This episode of "Nevada Yesterdays" explores Maxson's complicated legacy.

Selma Bartlett made her mark on southern Nevada. When she died recently just before her 98th birthday, she was remembered for doing a lot to build Henderson and Nevada State University.

The story of Nevada's Virginia and Truckee Railroad, built in 1869 to transport Comstock silver. Learn how financier William Sharon bluffed counties into funding "the crookedest railroad in the world," featuring 17 circles down the mountain.

FBI Director William Webster's controversial Nevada legacy: Operation Yobo stings, mob prosecutions, and the impeachment of Judge Harry Claiborne divided Las Vegas.

Lake Mead became America's first national recreation area in 1964, drawing millions of visitors. However, Nevada had to wait until 1986 for its first national park—Great Basin National Park—after decades of battles with ranchers and mining interests who didn't want to give up the land.

In 2025, Rancho High School celebrates. But is it celebrating its seventieth birthday, or its seventy-first?

Liberace was called Mr. Showmanship. He may have invented the term … or maybe the term was invented for him.

June 21, 2025 marked a significant anniversary. On that day in 1950, Hank Greenspun took over a newspaper that became the Las Vegas Sun. Greenspun and the Sun have played a significant role in shaping our past and present.

Lyle Rivera died recently. His story is worth telling, and so is a bigger story he was part of.