February 22, 1765

1765 James Oglethorpe was appointed full general in the British Army. Ultimately, he would become the oldest general officer in the British military.

February 22, 1766

1766 Parliament repealed the Stamp Act, though official announcement did not reach Georgia until July 6.

February 22, 1850

1850 Gov. Georgia Towns approved Georgia’s first law providing grounds for divorce. Prior to this legislation, a divorce could only be granted "upon legal principles" as determined by juries in two consecutive trials. Because Georgia had no statutory definition of what was included by the term "legal principles," Georgia’s Supreme Court in 1847 interpreted "legal principles" under British common law to mean religious grounds as defined by the Church of England. The General Assembly subsequently amended the state constitution to provide that grounds for divorce be "upon such legal principles, as the General Assembly may by law prescribe." At the 1850 session, these principles were statutorily established as:

Intermarriage "within the levitical degrees of consanguinity or affinity"
Mental incapacity at the time of marriage
Impotency at the time of marriage
Force, menace, or duress in obtaining a marriage
Pregnancy of the wife at the time of marriage without the husband’s knowledge
Adultery by either party after marriage
Willful and continuing desertion by either party for a period of three years
Conviction of either party of an offense involving moral turpitude for which the party is sentenced to prison for two years or longer
The 1850 statute further provided that in cases of cruel treatment or habitual intoxication, the jury could determine whether to grant a total divorce or a divorce "from bed and board." Further, all other allegations would only allow a divorce from bed and board.

February 22, 1861

1861 At the Provisional Confederate Congress meeting in Montgomery, Ala. Georgia delegate Augustus Wright introduced a bill "to form a Volunteer Division in the Army of the Confederate States of America." The legislation would subsequently be adopted.

February 22, 1865

1865 Gen. Robert E. Lee, commander of all Confederate armies, issued Special Order No. 3 naming Gen. Joseph E. Johnston commander of the Army of Tennessee and all troops in the Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. The order also placed Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard under Johnston. Privately, Lee telegraphed Johnston with instructions: "Concentrate all available forces and drive back Sherman." Johnston, however, had to telegraph Lee back: "It is too late to expect me to concentrate troops capable of driving back Sherman. The remnant of the Army of Tennessee is much divided. So are other troops. I will get information from General Beauregard as soon as practicable. Is any discretion allowed me? I have no staff."

February 22, 1877

Georgia cities and towns first incorporated by acts approved by the governor on Feb. 22:

1877 The Rock (Upson County)

February 22, 1892

1892 The Cyclorama painting of the Battle of Atlanta was placed on exhibit in a new building on Edgewood Ave. The painting had been purchased in September 1890 at auction by Paul Atkinson -- a Georgian -- for $2500. Atkinson had then exhibited the mammoth historical painting in Nashville and Chattanooga before bringing it to Atlanta in February 1892. After being on display for a year, Atkinson sold it to H.H. Harrison of Florida, who planned to exhibit it at the Chicago’s World Columbian Exposition in 1893. Exposition officials, however, demanded that he build a brick building to house the painting, which Harrison was unable to afford. On Aug. 1, 1893, the painting was auctioned off for $1100 to Ernest Woodruff, who sold it a week later to George Gress and Charles Northern, who devised plans to exhibit the painting in Grant Park.

February 22, 1905

Georgia cities and towns first incorporated by order of superior court on Feb. 22:

1905 Graymont (Emanuel County)

February 22, 1937

1937 Professional golfer Tommy Aaron was born in Gainesville, Ga. In 1973, he became the second of three Georgians to win the Masters.

February 22, 2005

2005 Former Georgia governor Ernest Vandiver died at his home in Franklin County. He was born July 3, 1918 in Canon, Georgia. See the July 3 entry for This Day in Georgia history for biographical information.