There are a handful of writers throughout history whose mere name somehow conjures up everything they were about. If someone says Stephen King, you think of a master of horror.
Agatha Christie makes one think about detective mysteries. Mark Twain has a similar effect, and we connect him with a smarmy, witty, affectionately curmudgeonly type of writing.
He's widely considered to be one of the most important humorists in American history, responsible for creating several world famous novels. If an author worked all of their lives and only created The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, that would be considered a successful career.
Mark Twain produced that timeless classic, and many more. Today, we dive deeper into the complicated, hilarious, sometimes radical life of Mr. Twain.
Mark Twain was actually born Samuel Clemens on November 30, 1835, in Florida, Missouri. As one of seven children, he quickly watched many of his siblings succumb and die during childhood.
Only three Clemens children reached adulthood. At the age of four, Samuel moved with his family to the town of Hannibal, situated on the Mississippi River.
His father, John Marshall Clemens worked as a sometimes attorney, and sometimes judge. Samuel's mother was named Jane, who hailed from Kentucky.
During his childhood, Samuel would often play around the port of Hannibal, swimming and fishing, and creating memories that would inform his future works.
John Clemens took ill with pneumonia when Samuel was eleven and passed away. They hadn't much to speak for financially, even before he died, but they were especially bad off afterwards.
Even at his young age, Samuel had to find work to help around the house, all while still continuing his education at school. Still, money was a pressing enough need that he eventually had to quit classes altogether after the fifth grade.
