1. On February 22, 1771, a group of Regulators, a group of North Carolinians seeking fair taxation and a reduction in government corruption, clashed with Governor Tryon's militia in Alamance County. This battle marked one of the first rebellions against British authority in the American colonies.

2. In 1819, the North Carolina General Assembly passed a law establishing the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as the first public university in the United States.

3. On February 22, 1865, the Battle of Wilmington began as Union forces under General Alfred Terry launched an assault on Confederate defenses in an attempt to seize the important port city. The battle lasted several days and ultimately resulted in a Union victory.

4. In 1943, the Duke Medical School admitted its first African American students, Edwina T. Newsom and Josiah T. Faucette. This marked a significant milestone in the history of desegregation in education in North Carolina.

5. On February 22, 1989, the Charlotte Hornets played their inaugural NBA game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. This marked the beginning of the Hornets' tenure as an NBA franchise until 2002, when they relocated to New Orleans before returning to Charlotte in 2014.