Complex sentence: In 1919 Hennacy married his first wife, Selma Melms, under common law; two years later they hiked around the United States passing through all 48 of the contiguous states.
Split into simpler sentences: In 1919 Hennacy married his first wife, Selma Melms, under common law. In 1921, they hiked around the United States passing through all 48 of the contiguous states.