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Birth
Mark Twain was born Samuel Longhorne Clemens on November 30, 1835 in Florida, Missouri. -
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Mark Twain's Lifetime
The life of a famous author and his hardships. -
Sister Dies
Mark Twain's sister, Margaret, dies when he is three years old. -
Inspiration for Tom Sawyer
Mark Twain moves to Hannibal, Missouri, where he is inspired to later write the fictional books, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. These stories take place in a town much like Hannibal, but it is named St. Petersburg. -
Brother Dies
Mark Twain's brother, Benjamin, dies when Mark is six. -
Father Dies
Mark Twain's father dies of pneumonia in 1847. -
Printer's Apprentice
Mark Twain becomes a printer's apprentice one year after his father's death. -
Typesetter
Mark Twain begins work as a typesetter and gives the Hannibal Journal many humorous sketches and articles. -
New York, Philadelphia, St. Louis, and Cincinnati Newspapers
Mark Twain left his job as typesetter to work for New York, Philadelphia, St. Louis, and Cincinnati newspapers. -
Muscatine
Mark Twain lived in Muscatine in the summer of 1855. -
Brother Dies
Mark Twain's brother, Henry, dies when Mark is twenty-three. He dies in an explosion of the steamboat, Pennsylvania. -
Steamboat Pilot
Mark Twain becomes a steamboat pilot. This job gave him the pseudonym, Mark Twain, which means the water is two fathoms (six feet each) deep. -
End of the Steamboat Pilot
Mark Twain's occupation as a steamboat pilot ends due to the American Civil War. -
Inspiration for Roughing It and The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County
Mark travels with his brother, Orion, on a stagecoach to visit the Mormon communities in Salt Lake City, Utah. -
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American Civil War
The American Civil war rages as the bright mind of Mark Twain flourishes. -
First Use of Pseudonym
Mark Twain finally used the pseudonym, Mark Twain, in a humorous travel account named "Letter From Carson - re: Joe Goodman; party at Gov. Johnson's; music" with "Mark Twain." -
California Writers
Mark Twain moved to San Francisco, CA and met other writers such as Bret Harte, Artemus Ward, Dan DeQuille, and a poet named Ina Coolbrith, who may have romanced him. -
The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County
Mark Twain becomes famous with his short story, The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County. -
Sandwich Islands (Hawaii)
Mark Twain travels to modern day Hawaii and serves as a reporter for the Sacramento Union, where he made the basis of his first lectures. -
Mediterranean Sea Voyage
A local newspaper funds Mark Twain's trip to the Mediterranean Sea, where he compiles a list of travel letters. -
Scroll and Key of Yale University
Mark Twain is invited into the Scroll and Key society of Yale University. -
Met Olivia Langdon
Mark Twain met his future wife, Olivia Langdon, but she refused his first marriage proposal. -
Innocents Abroad
Mark Twain compiles travel letters from his trip to the Mediterranean Sea to make the book, Innocents Abroad. -
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Living in Buffalo, New York
Mark Twain and Olivia Langdon happily settle down in Buffalo, New York. -
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Summer Home
Mark Twain and his family stay at Olivia's sister's home, Quarry Farm, for the summers of 1870 through 1880. -
Happily Married
Mark Twain gladly marries Olivia Langdon after proposing a second time. They were married in Elmira, New York. Mark Twain met many abolitionists such as Harriet Beecher Stowe, Frederick Douglass, and William Dean Howells. -
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Mark Twain and Olivia Langdon's Marriage
Mark Twaina and Olivia Langdon's thirty-four year marriage. -
Susy is Born
Mark Twain's daughter, Susy, is born. -
Hartford, Connecticut
Mark Twain moves to Hartford, Connecticut and begins construction on his new home. -
Clara is Born
Mark Twain's daughter, Clara is born. -
Study
Olivia's sister, Susan, builds a study separated from the house for Mark Twain to use. -
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Hartford, Connecticut
Mark Twain's time in Hartford, Connecticut. -
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Mark Twain's first novel, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, is published and released to the public. -
Jean is Born
Mark Twain's daughter, Jean, is born. -
A Tramp Abroad
Mark Twain visits Europe again, compiling another set of travel letters to make this A Tramp Abroad. -
The Prince and the Pauper
Mark Twain publishes and releases his second novel, The Prince and the Pauper. -
Life on the Mississippi
Mark Twain publishes his third novel, Life on the Mississippi. -
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Mark Twain publishes his fourth novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. -
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
Mark Twain publishes his fifth novel, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. -
Mother Dies
Mark Twain's mother, Jane, dies when Mark is fifty-four. -
Susy Dies
Mark Twain's daughter, Susy, dies. -
Brother Dies
Mark Twain's brother, Orion, dies when Mark is sixty-two. -
Sister Dies
Mark Twain's sister, Pamela, dies when Mark is fifty-six. -
Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison visits Mark Twain and films him, using the footage in the two reel film, The Prince and the Pauper. -
Jean Dies
Mark Twain's daughter, Jean, dies. -
Death
Mark Twain dies on April 21, 1910 in Redding, Connecticut. He dies of a heart attack.
