July 16th, 2022 marks the 77th anniversary of the detonation of the very first atomic bomb and to honor that milestone, I've decided to release a re-packaged version of one of my favorite episodes of Sin City Stories, my Las Vegas history spin-off podcast.

And although the actual test occurred in the desert just outside of Los Alamos, New Mexico, it led to one of the most interesting periods in Nevada's history and a very bizarre tourism industry for the city of Las Vegas.

Just as the cold war with Russia was beginning to heat up, the US Government selected a spot a little over 60 miles away from the glitz and glamour of the Vegas Strip where they could test atomic weapons.  The explosions lit up the sky and the mushroom clouds that came with the blasts could be seen for miles around - including from the rooftops of the hotels in downtown Las Vegas.

If you want to go even further in-depth on the history of Atomic Vegas, check out the complete shownotes on the Sin City Stories website featuring articles, photos, videos and more!  And if you've got a Las Vegas trip planned anytime soon, be sure to visit the National Atomic Testing Museum.

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