Mark Twain was born on November 30, 1835 in Hannibal, Missouri as Samuel

Langhorne Clemens. Mark Twain would become his pen name later on in his life.
When he was four, he moved with his family to Hannibal, Missouri. Hannibal, located
on the Mississippi River, would serve as a fictional town in his most famous books,
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. When
Samuel turned 18, he left Hannibal and worked as a printer in New York, Philadelphia,
St. Louis and Cincinnati. Four years later, he returned to Hannibal and worked as a
riverboat pilot. For some tine after the Civil War, Samuel worked as a miner in the
town of Virginia City, Nevada. Although he hoped to find gold in Nevada, his efforts
ultimately failed. Nevertheless, he did earn his first writing job at the Daily Territorial
Enterprise, a newspaper in Virginia City. It was here, in 1863, that Samuel adopted the
pen name Mark Twain.
Mark Twain would soon become one of the greatest authors in American history. In
1876, he published The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, a story about the adventures of a
young boy and his friend, Huckleberry Finn in St. Petersburg, Missouri. The most
well-known scene in the story depicts how Tom tricked his neighborhood playmates
into whitewashing (painting) a fence that he was assigned to by his Aunt Polly. Tom
convinces the boys that the whitewashing is so enjoyable that they actually trade him
apples and other items just to participate in the whitewashing. In 1889 Twain
published the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which is considered by many to be a
sequel of the Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Many consider The Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn as Twains greatest literary accomplishment, as it magically depicts
life along the Mississippi River in the 1800s and illustrates the racist attitudes of the
time. The story is centered around Huckleberry Finn and his friend, Jim, a runaway
slave who escape together on a raft heading north, and then south on the Mississippi
River. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was one of the first published novels that
featured colloquial speech, or, words, expressions, and statements used only by
residents of a particular geographic location. Twain also authored several other
famous works including The Prince and the Pauper (1882), and A Connecticut Yankee
in King Arthurs Court (1889). Mark Twain remained a colorful character well for his
entire life. He was involved in several societies, leagues, and clubs including the
American Anti-Imperialist League, an organization that was opposed to Americas
annexation of The Philippines after the Spanish-American War. He was also a
member of the Bohemian Club, a secret club for powerful world leaders. In addition,
he was the author of many famous epigrams (sayings) such as A man is never more
truthful than when he acknowledges himself a liar. and A habit cannot be thrown
out the window, it must be coaxed down the stairs one step at a time. Before his
death, Twain was one of the most famous celebrities in the country. Mark Twain died
in 1910.
Today, the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum, located in Hannibal, is one of
Missouris most popular museums. Visitors can explore the Mark Twain Cave and
take a riverboat ride down the Mississippi River. The legendary whitewashed fence
painted by the fictional character Tom Sawyer borders the property.