1. On January 22, 1943, the US War Department announced that the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania would be closed, marking the end of an era in Native American education.

2. In 1795, a treaty was signed between the United States and the Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy at Canandaigua, New York. The treaty established peace between the two parties, recognized the sovereignty of the Iroquois, and opened vast tracts of land in what is now Pennsylvania to European settlement.

3. The Pennsylvania Turnpike, the first long-distance, limited-access highway in the United States, opened to traffic on January 22, 1940. The 160-mile stretch of road between Irwin and Carlisle allowed motorists to travel across the state at speeds of up to 70 miles per hour.

4. On January 22, 1866, the first Civil Rights Act was passed by Congress, granting citizenship to all persons born in the United States, including African Americans. The act also provided for equal protection under the law and guaranteed the rights of all citizens to make and enforce contracts, sue and be sued, and give evidence in court.

5. In 1901, the first elevator safety brake was patented by Philadelphia inventor John W. Meaker. Meaker's invention, which employed a ratcheting system to hold elevators in place in case of cable failure, greatly improved the safety of the growing number of tall buildings in urban areas.