Kody Kitchener/Nevada Sagebrush
Gov. Brain Sandoval walks with a Vegas Strong banner during the Nevada Day parade in Carson City on Friday, Oct. 27.

Celebrating Nevada Day is more than celebrating the statehood of the Battle Born State. It’s about acknowledging the past, present and future of the state. Oct. 31 is the recognized birthday of Nevada; however, starting in 2000, Nevada Day began to be celebrated on the last Friday of October. The annual grand celebration of the Battle Born State wasn’t recorded until 1873, nine years after the state was originally recognized as a state.

In honor of Nevada day here are six did you know facts about the Silver State to celebrate the past, present and future.

Nevada means “covered in snow”

When Nevada is translated into Spanish it means “covered in snow,” and the state received the name based off the Sierra Nevada mountains that are shared with California. Sierra Nevada translated to Spanish means “mountains covered in snow”—despite the fact that there is a large amount of desert in Nevada.

In 1999, Nevada had one slot machine for every 10 residents

According to 50states.com, there were 205,726 slot machines in Nevada in 1999—that’s one slot machine for every 10 residents. As of 2016, there are about 167,690 slot machines and other gaming devices. The year 2000 was the highest amount of slot machines Nevada ever saw with 213,800 as recorded by Statista.

Pershing County features one of two round courthouses nationwide

Up until 1960, Pershing County, which contains Lovelock, Nevada, was the only county with a round courthouse. Bucks County in Pennsylvania was the second county to build a round courthouse. To this day, these counties are the only ones to house two round courthouses in the United States.

The Ichthyosaur is Nevada’s state fossil

Berlin, Nevada is a ghost town that is located near Gabbs, Nevadaand is the only place to possess a complete skeleton of the Ichthyosaur, a type of fish-lizard from the Mesozoic era. It was in 1977 when the 55-foot long Ichthyosaurs was named the official fossil of the state. While Berlin, Nevada

Nevada is the most mountainous state in the U.S.

With 150 named mountain ranges and over 30 mountain peaks, the Battle Born State outnumbers all other states when it comes to mountains. There are about eight major mountain ranges in Nevada — Battle, Monitor, Ruby, Santa Rosa, Schell Creek, Sierra Nevada, Snake and Toiyabe. Another fun fact: over 30 mountain peaks in the state exceed 11,000 feet.

Nevada Is 153 years Old

This Oct. 31 will be the Battle Born State’s 153rd birthday! Every year for the past 79 years in Carson City there has been a Nevada day parade in honor of the state’s birthday. Celebrating everything from the past to the future of the things that make Nevada such a special state. While commemorating Nevada this year remember all the fun facts that make the 31st so special for every Nevadan.

Cassidy Leslie can be reached at mpurdue@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @NevadaSagebrush.