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Mark Twain is Born
Samuel Langhorne Clemens is born in Florida, Missouri, -
They move to Hannibal
The Clemens family moves to Hannibal, Missouri, a riverbank town that is a frequent stop for steamboats traveling the Mississippi. -
Mark Twain becomes a River Pilot
Samuel Clemens begins a successful two-year apprenticeship to become a licensed river pilot. -
"Jumping Frog" is published
The short story "Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog" (later "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calavaras County") appears in the New York Saturday Press. -
He meets his Wife
Twain is introduced to Olivia "Livy" Langdon, the sister of a friend. He is instantly smitten. -
Twain Founds Publishing Company
Twain founds his own publishing company, Charles L. Webster & Co. (named after his nephew and co-owner Charles L. Webster). It turns out to be a bad financial move—the company's struggles will eventually ruin his family's finances. -
He publishes Huck Finn
In the span of less than a year, Twain publishes both his greatest fiction and non-fiction works: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and a biography of President Ulysses S. Grant. -
Mark Twain dies
Mark Twain dies at the age of 74 at his home in Redding, Connecticut.
