Sammy Davis Jr. lost his left eye in a horrific accident on November 15, 1954. He had been driving all night from Las Vegas to Los Angeles for a recording session. The accident occurred around 7 am when his car collided, and his face hit the metal steering wheel hub of his lime green Cadillac.
During that time, cars didn’t come with seat belts like we have now. He ended up losing his eye due to the impact and wore a glass eye for the rest of his life. After recovery, Davis Jr. was back on stage. During the opening of his first performance back, the entertainer removed his eye patch and revealed his glass eye. He then continued as normal with the show. Here he is doing the act backstage.
The Showboat Hotel
Not every hotel in Vegas was an automatic success or sensation. A few of them hit tougher times. Mostly due to location, location, location! One of them was the Showboat Hotel which opened in 1954 on the North End of the Boulder Strip. The hotel was constructed by Vegas stalwarts William J. Moore and J. Kell Houssels - the very same guys involved in building the Last Frontier Hotel Casino and the Las Vegas Club. But Showboat aimed to be different.
It was the first fancy place right in the heart of Sin City/ The hotel had some tough years until they came up with a super cheap breakfast deal that outdid competing establishments. Breakfast brought in the crowds. It was a hit with the local residents. The hotel was sadly demolished in 2015.
Vegas Collaborations
The Martin & Lewis duo was wildly popular and the two would do performances in Vegas often. Despite the duo’s success, issues started cropping up in their friendship. Martin thought Lewis was being too controlling about their work. He contemplated flying solo. Lewis really looked up to Martin and felt hurt that Martin wanted to leave.
They ended up not talking to each other anymore. The two still collaborated until 1956. On July 25, 1956, they did one last show together at the Copacabana before parting ways. Above is a picture of a better time when Martin and Lewis performed together for an ABC show. The duo collaborated for 10 years.
Sugar Ray Robinson
Sugar Ray Robinson was a boxing legend from Michigan who ruled as the world welterweight champ from 1946 to 1951. They didn't call him “pound-for-pound the best” for nothing! Despite making millions in the ring, the boxer faced financial troubles by the mid-1960s. But he didn't back down and found a new calling - showbiz.
Here we see Robinson with future boxing stars Greg Genochio and Jimmy Gay. They seem to be getting boxing tips! That the gloves seem bigger than both kids combined makes it all the more endearing! Although he did a fine job at dancing, Robinson would always be remembered for his moves in the ring.
Nevada Explosions
Aside from roaring parties in hotels and casinos, Nevada was also a test site for nuclear explosions. In case we forget, there was a military base there too! The test pictured here was conducted on July 5, 1956, and tested the explosion of a 75-kiloton device from a balloon.
From 1951 to 1992, the United States government carried out a whopping 1,021 nuclear tests in Nevada. 100 were done in the air and 921 were conducted underground. The government even set up special places to test nuclear rockets and ramjet engines. That’s quite a history of scientific exploration alongside the pleasures of Vegas.