In The News: Department of History

The Mirage is about to vanish from the Las Vegas Strip. Gambling ends and the doors close Wednesday at the iconic tropical island-themed hotel-casino that opened in 1989 with a fire-spewing volcano outside, and Siegfried & Roy鈥檚 lions and dolphins inside.

Michael Green, a 黑料网 professor whose expertise lies at the intersection of U.S. history and politics, cautions against buying into social media chatter, suggesting that the weekend assassination attempt against Donald Trump will influence a victory in the 2024 presidential election. According to Green, history shows that election projections are unpredictable.

The old stucco houses on Casino Center Boulevard and Third Street downtown don鈥檛 seem particularly distinguished at first glance. One, with a mix of dirty and boarded windows, looks forlorn. The other is a simple, one story bail bonds office. There鈥檚 no plaque to mark them and nothing to indicate that they have any historical significance.

The Mirage hotel-casino is often cited as being a trailblazer and the first true mega resort in Las Vegas. The 鈥淥asis in the Desert鈥 changed the way casinos approached the business of making money and how the outside world perceived Las Vegas.

Posts on social media suggest some voters believe former president Donald Trump has already won the 2024 presidential election after surviving an assassination attempt. 黑料网 history professor, Michael Green, says history shows that projection is unpredictable.
The Mirage, an iconic hotel and casino in Las Vegas that opened in 1989, is set to close its doors for good next week 鈥 but must first hand out around $1.6 million in cash and prizes. NBC鈥檚 Morgan Chesky reports for TODAY.

Barb Edgemon and her late husband Daryn began their love affair with The Mirage hotel-casino during their honeymoon in 1995. The newlyweds from Spokane, Washington, were both blackjack dealers and spending time at one of the world鈥檚 premier casino properties was a natural fit.

Once upon a time, when you complimented someone鈥檚 skirt or dress, there was a solid chance she鈥檇 reply with, 鈥淭hanks, it has pockets!鈥 These days, you鈥檙e more likely to be met with a different response, or rather a correction: 鈥淭hanks, it鈥檚 actually a skort.鈥

The Mirage is coming into the home stretch. Next Wednesday, it will close its doors. The property itself will remain, but it will become a Hard Rock Hotel, albeit a much different one from the former Paradise Road casino by that name.

Skokie, Illinois is about 15 miles north of downtown Chicago. It鈥檚 a diverse village of about 65,000 people, and while it鈥檚 just beyond city limits and certainly maintains a small-town feel, it鈥檚 essentially a Chicago suburb.

One of the first major retail centers in Las Vegas is poised for a makeover. Commercial Center, known for being the home of the original Lotus of Siam Thai restaurant, and for longtime residents, the Ice Palace, which played host to notable music acts in the 1960s-80s, including the Doors, Led Zeppelin and the Grateful Dead.

Expansion plans for the Durango Casino & Resort are moving forward. After opening in December, the resort, on the southwest side of Las Vegas, has been successful, which led to Station Casinos deciding to add to the property.