Original: 1942 & ndash ; World War II : the Battle of Guadalcanal begins & ndash ; United States Marines initiate the first American offensive of the war with landings on Guadalcanal and Tulagi in the Solomon Islands .
Simplified: 1942 - World War II : Battle of Guadalcanal begins - US Marines initiate the first American offensive of the war with a landing on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands .