Samuel Langhorne Clemens
- Born:
- November 30, 1835, Florida, Missouri, USA
- Died:
- April 21, 1910, Redding, Connecticut, USA
- Nationality:
- American
- Profession(s):
- Author, Humorist, Essayist, Lecturer
Early Life and Education
- Born Samuel Langhorne Clemens in Florida, Missouri.
- Moved to Hannibal, Missouri, a significant setting for his later works.
- Apprenticed as a printer after his father's death.
- Worked as a typesetter and contributed articles to the Hannibal Journal.
Career and Major Achievements
- Piloted steamboats on the Mississippi River, adopting the pen name "Mark Twain" from a riverboat term.
- Traveled extensively, including a trip to Europe and the Holy Land, documented in The Innocents Abroad.
- Achieved widespread recognition for his humorous and satirical writing.
- Founded a publishing house, Charles L. Webster and Company, which eventually went bankrupt.
- Experienced financial hardship in his later years, undertaking a worldwide lecture tour to pay off debts. The experiences of mark twain later life reflect both professional triumph and personal tragedy.
Notable Works
- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876)
- The Prince and the Pauper (1881)
- Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884)
- A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1889)
- Pudd'nhead Wilson (1894)
Legacy and Impact
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, known as Mark Twain, is considered one of the greatest American authors. His works are celebrated for their humor, social commentary, and regional realism, influencing generations of writers.