Mark Twain Biography

The Mark Twain biography reveals how a humble printer's assistant rose to become one of America's greatest writers. Twain's talent was evident from his early years, and he became one of America's top celebrities during his time.

Early Years
Samuel Langhorne Clemens was born on November 30, 1835, in the small town of Florida, Missouri. He was the sixth child of John and Jane Clemens. At the age of four, Clemens and his family relocated to Hannibal, Missouri, a bustling port city located on the Mississippi.

Samuel's father was a judge, so the family was able to own a nice house on Hill Street. As a young child, Samuel was sickly and often kept indoors. By age 9, he seemed to have outgrown his childhood illnesses and was well enough to play outside with the neighborhood children. 

Samuel attended private schools until 1847, when his father died of pneumonia. Left to fend for themselves, the Clemens children took whatever jobs they could find. Samuel apprenticed as a typesetter and began submitting articles to his brother Orion's newspaper, the Hannibal Journal. Samuel discovered that he liked writing, and left for New York City to be a part of their respected publishing industry. Samuel worked during the day and attended library lectures at night.

On the River
Samuel took a variety of printing jobs in the midwest. While traveling to New Orleans, his fascination with riverboats caught the attention of pilot Horace Bixby, who encouraged Samuel to become a riverboat pilot. Samuel apprenticed until 1858, when he received his riverboat pilot's license.

Samuel loved his work as a steamboat pilot. His pen name, Mark Twain, arose from a common term among the pilots. Whenever they pulled into a shallow area, a weighted rope with measurements would be used to gauge the depth of the water. Each distance was known as a "mark." Mark Twain was the measurement for 12 feet, which meant there was enough depth for the boat to travel safely. 

Becoming a Writer
The Civil War brought the riverboats to a standstill. To earn money, Samuel started working as newspaper reporter, accepting assignments throughout America.

In 1870, he married Olivia Langdon. They had four children. One child died in infancy, and two died in their early twenties.

Samuel and Olivia's surviving child, Clara, lived to the age of 88. Clara did have a daughter, but she died without producing any heirs, so there are no surviving direct descendants of Mark Twain.

Twain's career began to take off when his story "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calavaras County" appeared in the New York Saturday Press in November of 1865. His first book, The Innocents Abroad, was published in 1869. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer followed in 1876, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in 1885. Many of Twain's tales were set in St. Petersburg, a fictionalized version of his home town of Hannibal.

Twain penned more than 28 books and numerous short stories during his career. He was also one of the most popular public speakers of his day. Drawing on the memories of the lectures he loved at New York's libraries, Twain injected humor, drama and details of his experiences around America to captivate his audiences.

Twain used his lectures to pay off debts incurred by poor investments in new printing technologies and his own publishing house. Twain traveled to Europe to lecture, bringing tales of life in America. When he returned to American shores, he thrilled his audiences with tales of life in Europe.

Twain died on April 21, 1910, leaving behind a collection of written work considered among the finest ever produced by an American writer.