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

_______________________________ 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

_____________________________ 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

___________________________ 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