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Samuel Langhorne Clemens was born in Florida, Missouri as the sixth child of John Marshall and Jane Lampton Clemens.
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Samuel Clemens grew up in the small town of Hannibal, Missouri. Many of his later stories were inspired by his his early years spent playing along the Mississippi River.
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Samuel Clemens left school after his father died when he was 12. He began working as a printer's apprentice at the Missouri Courier newspaper. He later joined his brother as an editor at the Western Union newspaper.
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Samuel Clemens first used his pen name, Mark Twain, in a writing published in "Enterprise". The name came from his river piloting experience. "Mark twain" means that the river is two fathoms deep and it is safe for a boat to navigate.
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After his story "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" was published, Mark Twain began gaining popularity. Soon after, Clemens started working for the Sacramento "Union".
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Clemens' first book, "The Innocents Abroad" was published in 1869.
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Samuel Clemens and Olivia Langdon married and had four children together. Their only son, however, died as a toddler.
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One of Mark Twain's most well-known books, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer", was published in 1876.
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The companion book of "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" was published in 1885. It was the first book that Clemens published at his own company.
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At the age of 74, Samuel Clemens passed away. He was buried in Elmira, New York with his wife Olivia Langdon.
