Interested in fun facts and the history of Reno, NV?
Then read on!
Here are some interesting historical facts related to Reno, Nevada:
1. Reno was founded in 1868 in the vicinity of the Transcontinental Railroad, and it was named after General Jesse Lee Reno, a Union Army officer who was killed in the American Civil War.
2. During the 1920s, Reno became known as the "Divorce Capital of the World" due to its liberal divorce laws, which allowed couples to obtain a quick and easy divorce by simply residing in the state for six weeks.
3. The Nevada State Capitol building was originally located in Carson City, but it was temporarily moved to Reno during World War II, as the state feared that Carson City could be targeted by the Japanese. The capitol was moved back to Carson City after the war.
4. In 1960, John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon held one of their presidential debates at the Old Gymnasium at the University of Nevada, Reno. It was the first-ever televised presidential debate.
5. The Reno Arch is a prominent landmark in downtown Reno. It was originally erected in 1926 to celebrate the completion of the Lincoln and Victory Highways, and it has since become a symbol of the city.
6. In 1982, a hotel-casino in downtown Reno called the MGM Grand caught fire, killing 85 people and injuring hundreds more. It was the second-deadliest single-building fire in U.S. history at the time.
7. Reno is home to the Reno Air Races, an annual event that attracts thousands of visitors to watch planes race at high speeds around a course marked out by pylons. The races have been held since 1964, and they are the only closed-course air races currently held in the world.
