1. On December 22, 1868, the Union Pacific Railroad reached the city of Kearney, Nebraska. This milestone helped to spur the growth and development of central Nebraska, linking it to the rest of the country through rail transportation.

2. In 1914, on December 22, the notorious outlaw Frank "Butcher" Mackie was killed in a shootout with law enforcement officials in Omaha. Mackie was known for his violent criminal activities and was wanted for multiple crimes, including murder and robbery.

3. December 22, 1931, marked the opening of the Capitol Theatre in downtown Omaha. The theater was one of the largest and most opulent in the region, with seating for over 2,000 patrons. It served as a cultural hub for the city for several decades before closing its doors in the 1980s.

4. University of Nebraska football fans will remember December 22, 2009, as the day that legendary coach Tom Osborne officially announced his retirement. Osborne had led the Cornhuskers to three national championships during his tenure as head coach.

5. On December 22, 2017, the Nebraska Supreme Court upheld the state's ban on the death penalty. The decision ended a long-running legal battle over the constitutionality of the state's death penalty statute and gave hope to anti-death penalty advocates around the country. However, the ban was later overturned by voter referendum in 2020.