Mark Twain

Born

Nov 30, 1835

Samuel Langhorne Clemens was born in Florida, Missouri, on November 30, 1835. He was the son of Jane and John Marshall Clemens. He was the sixth of seven children.

Moved to Hannibal

Oct 8, 1840

When he was four, Twain's family moved to Hannibal, Missouri, a port town on the Mississippi River that inspired the fictional town of St. Petersburg in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Missouri was a slave state and young Twain became familiar with the institution of slavery, a theme he would later explore in his writing.

Begining of working career

Sep 11, 1851

In 1851, he began working as a typesetter and contributor of articles and humorous sketches for the Hannibal Journal, a newspaper owned by his brother Orion. When he was 18, he left Hannibal and worked as a printer in New York City, Philadelphia, St. Louis, and Cincinnati.

Secretary to the Governor of Nevada

Aug 8, 1861

Twain joined Orion, who in 1861 became secretary to James W. Nye, the governor of Nevada Territory, and headed west.

Mariage

Feb 8, 1870

In February 1870, Twain and Langdon were married in Elmira, New York

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Oct 8, 1876

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain is an 1876 novel about a young boy growing up along the Mississippi River. The story is set in the fictional town of St. Petersburg, inspired by Hannibal, Missouri, where Twain lived.

Samuel Clemens died

Apr 21, 1910

Samuel Clemens died on April 21, 1910, at the age of 74, at his country home in Redding, Connecticut. He was buried in Elmira, New York.