History of Las Vegas-(1997-Present)
1997 – January 3rd, New York New York opens with 2,033 rooms.
1997 – Sheldon Adelson breaks ground in April to build the 6,000-suite, $1.8 billion Venetian Hotel and Resort on the grounds of the original Sands Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip.
1997 – The Aladdin Hotel closes on the Las Vegas Strip November 25 making way for a $1.2 billion gambling and hotel complex.
1998 – "Star Trek: The Experience" opens January 4 at the Las Vegas Hilton.
1998 – Starwood Hotels & Resorts buys ITT Corp. for $14.6 billion. The purchase includes acquisition of Caesars Palace and The Desert Inn hotel/casinos on the Las Vegas Strip.
1998 – The Aladdin Hotel is imploded on April 27.
1998 – Bellagio, billed as the most expensive hotel in the world ($1.7 billion) opens October 15 on the Las Vegas Strip and initiates a policy barring persons under 18 years of age who are not registered guests of the hotel.
1998 – Las Vegas Convention Center opens an expansion, boosting its total space to 1.9 million square feet.
1998 – November 15th A 66-year-old Las Vegas resident hits a $27.58 million progressive Megabucks jackpot at the Palace Station Hotel Casino.
1998 – Annual gross gaming revenue in Nevada hits the $8.1 billion mark. Annual number of visitors to Las Vegas totals 30.6 million people.
1999 – Phase I of the Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino opens May 3 with 3,036 suites.
1999 – September 1st, Paris Las Vegas opens with 2,914 rooms.
2000 – A $3 billion deal closes to sell Caesars World Inc., including Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas Strip, to Park Place Entertainment.
2000 – MGM Grand Inc. announces the purchase of Mirage Resorts Inc., creating the largest corporate buyout in gaming history.
2000 – The US Census reports the population of Las Vegas is 478,434 over a land area of 113 square miles. There are over 500 churches and synagogues, 799 acres of parks, 7 television stations, and 12 radio stations (4 AM and 8FM). Las Vegas is the largest metropolitan city in the U.S. that was founded in 20th century.
2002 – Wynn Resorts goes public with IPO for $1.85 billion megaresort, Le Rêve.
2003 – The $105 million ’40s themed property, The Cannery, opens its doors.
2003 – The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority debuts its new advertising campaign, "Vegas Stories" with the tagline, "What Happens Here, Stays Here."
2003 – The Stratosphere releases plans for its latest thrill ride, a teeter-totter like device situated nearly 900 feet above Las Vegas Boulevard, aptly called X Scream.
2003 – Steve Wynn changes the name for Las Vegas’ newest megaresort from Le Rêve to Wynn Las Vegas.
2004 – The Las Vegas Monorail, a $654 million mass transit system, opens to the public.
2005 – April 28th Wynn Las Vegas, the destination’s newest megaresort, opens. At $2.7 billion, the resort becomes the most expensive hotel and casino in the world.
2005 – Visitor volume for 2004 breaks tourism records with 37.4 million.
2006 – Cirque du Soleil opens its fifth resident show, ‘ Love’ at The Mirage, replacing long-time Las Vegas magicians, Siegfried & Roy. The show is based on The Beatles music.
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