In the Guadalcanal Campaign of the Second World War, the Allies reversed
the gains of Imperial Japan in the southwest Pacific. U.S. forces had
inflicted heavy losses on the Imperial Japanese Navy at the Battle of
Midway in June 1942, but Japan had remained on the offensive, pushing
into the Solomon Islands from Rabaul and threatening supply lines to
Australia and New Zealand. In August 1942, U.S. Marines landed on
Guadalcanal in the southern Solomon Islands. The Japanese had occupied
the islands since May, and were building an airfield (later named
Henderson Field). The Allies overwhelmed the surprised Japanese
defenders and captured the airfield. The Japanese attempted to retake it
but were defeated in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal in early November.
They abandoned their campaign in December, and evacuated their remaining
forces on 7 February 1943. The Allied victories on Guadalcanal, and in
New Guinea, marked the transition from defensive operations to a series
of offensives that culminated in the Japanese surrender in 1945.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guadalcanal_Campaign>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1795:
The Eleventh Amendment to the United States Constitution,
limiting the ability of U.S. citizens and foreign nationals to sue U.S.
states in federal courts, was ratified in order to overrule the Supreme
Court decision in Chisholm v. Georgia.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleventh_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution>
1813:
Napoleonic Wars: Two evenly matched frigates from the French
Navy and the British Royal Navy fought for four hours, causing
significant damage, but resulting in a stalemate.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_of_7_February_1813>
1907:
More than 3,000 women in London participated in the Mud March,
the first large procession organized by the National Union of Women's
Suffrage Societies, seeking women's suffrage in the United Kingdom.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mud_March_(Suffragists)>
1948:
Neil Harvey became the youngest Australian to score a century
in Test cricket.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Harvey>
1997:
Steve Jobs returned to Apple Inc. as a consultant after the
company purchased his startup NeXT Software.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NeXT>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
wordster:
1. One who is skilled at using words; a wordsmith.
2. One who studies words.
3. (pejorative) One who uses words instead of actions; a hypocrite, a
verbalist.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/wordster>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
When men are about to commit, or sanction the commission of some
injustice, it is not uncommon for them to express pity for the object
either of that or some parallel proceeding, and to feel themselves, at
the time, quite virtuous and moral, and immensely superior to those who
express no pity at all. This is a kind of upholding of faith above
works, and is very comfortable.
--The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Nicholas_Nickleby>