In the 1940s, the Mojave Desert was the site of atomic bomb tests at the Nevada Test Site.

During the 1940s, particularly after World War II, the Mojave Desert became a key location for the United State's nuclear testing program. In 1945, the Nevada Test Site (now known as the Nevada National Security Site) was established to conduct atomic bomb tests, many of which were carried out in the Mojave Desert region. These tests played a significant role in the development of nuclear weapons during the Cold War era. The other events, such as the invention of the telephone and the signing of the Declaration of Independence, occurred in different locations and eras. The discovery of gold also predates the 1940s.