In The News: Department of History
Las Vegas’s famous Tropicana hotel is no more. Its guests were abruptly asked to leave earlier this month and its gold-domed casino closed – signaling the end of an icon of classic Sin City life where glamor, celebrity and crime seemed to go hand in hand.
The Tropicana has been synonymous with old-world Las Vegas glamour for nearly seven decades – but the legendary landmark has now closed its doors to make way for a $1.5 billion baseball stadium. As historians scramble to preserve the Tropicana’s colourful past, the site’s sporting future exemplifies the city’s ever-changing identity
Vice President Kamala Harris was in town on Monday as she continues her campaign trail. The Vice President highlighted the impact of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, a law signed by President Joe Biden in 2022 that led to a new rule announced by the Justice Department requiring anyone who sells guns to run federal background checks. This was Harris' fourth visit to the Las Vegas valley so far this year. UNLV professor and chair of the history department Dr. Michael Green also stopped by to talk more about her visit.
One track on Taylor Swift’s new album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” honors a long-celebrated, oft-miscast heroine of American feminism: actress Clara Bow. As historians of the 1920s, we’ve studied Bow’s fame and her cultural legacy. At her ranch in rural Nevada, we oversee a collection of her personal artifacts, including her clothing and a makeup case.
One track on Taylor Swift’s new album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” honors a long-celebrated, oft-miscast heroine of American feminism: actress Clara Bow. As historians of the 1920s, we’ve studied Bow’s fame and her cultural legacy. At her ranch in rural Nevada, we oversee a collection of her personal artifacts, including her clothing and a makeup case.
Storytelling is the centerpiece of good entertainment, and our city has a lot of stories to tell. Las Vegas has been long obsessed with being ahead of the curve in all things entertainment, food and gaming. But with a reputation for building up new resorts as fast as it tears them down, Las Vegas is a city in constant flux. Often, important stories of our past are simply forgotten.
Storytelling is the centerpiece of good entertainment, and our city has a lot of stories to tell. Las Vegas has been long obsessed with being ahead of the curve in all things entertainment, food and gaming. But with a reputation for building up new resorts as fast as it tears them down, Las Vegas is a city in constant flux. Often, important stories of our past are simply forgotten.
Storytelling is the centerpiece of good entertainment, and our city has a lot of stories to tell. Las Vegas has been long obsessed with being ahead of the curve in all things entertainment, food and gaming. But with a reputation for building up new resorts as fast as it tears them down, Las Vegas is a city in constant flux. Often, important stories of our past are simply forgotten.
Louis Armstrong and Benny Goodman performed there. Gladys Knight and Wayne Newton had residencies in its theatre. Magicians Siegfried & Roy made their Las Vegas debut there. And James Bond checked into room 831 after saying, “I hear that the Hotel Tropicana is quite comfortable” in the movie “Diamonds are Forever.”
A look back at Tropicana’s six decades of legacy on the Las Vegas Strip.
When it first opened on April 4, 1957, the Tropicana was the most expensive hotel-casino ever built on the Las Vegas Strip. It was dubbed the “Tiffany of the Desert” in a nod to the status jewelry store. That elevated level of style set a new bar for what guests could and should expect, on a visit to Vegas.
The story of the Las Vegas Strip started more than 80 years ago this week on a ranch. More specifically, a Western-themed resort called El Rancho Vegas.