Is Oct. 31 the 'real' Nevada Day?
By Todd Butterworth
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YES
Nevada was admitted as the 36th state in the union in the midst of the Civil War, on Oct. 31, 1864. There was a rush to admit Nevada to help re-elect President Abraham Lincoln and add to the anti-slavery Republican majority in Congress. In the longest and costliest telegraph ever sent, the state’s constitution was transmitted to Washington, D.C., on Oct. 26 and 27.
The Nevada Legislature established Nevada Day as an official holiday in 1933 to be observed each Oct. 31. In 2000, the legislature changed the holiday celebration to the last Friday in October, in order to create a three-day weekend to generate more interest and economic activity around Nevada Day.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
State of Nevada History of Nevada
National Archives National Archives Celebrates the 145th Anniversary of Nevada Statehood
Office Holidays Nevada Day in Nevada in 2023
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