1. On March 22, 1854, the Kansas-Nebraska Act was signed into law by President Franklin Pierce, officially opening the territories of Kansas and Nebraska for settlement and paving the way for the events that would lead to the outbreak of the American Civil War.
2. In 1923, March 22 was declared Kansas Day by the state legislature, commemorating the anniversary of Kansas' admission to the Union as the 34th state on January 29, 1861.
3. On March 22, 1913, Kansas native Clyde Cessna completed the first successful flight of his Silverwing biplane, launching his career as a pioneering aviation designer and manufacturer.
4. March 22, 1959 marked the dedication of the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene, Kansas, honoring the legacy of Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States and a Kansas native.
5. On March 22, 1960, a severe tornado outbreak swept across the Great Plains, including parts of Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. The outbreak produced at least 15 tornadoes in Kansas alone, causing significant damage and claiming several lives.