Born November 30th, 1835, Samuel Langhorne Clemens was better known as a writer by the name Mark Twain. Twain was a popular writer throughout his time, and some of his most famous works include that of the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, as well as the Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Twain became widely popular during his time as a writer, and some of his works included early travels, as well as extensive novels as his career went on.
Twain was born in a small town in Missouri to his parents John Marshall and Jane Clemens. While he struggled with his health at a young age, his father passed away from pneaumonia when Twain was just 12. Twain's early jobs included being a printer's apprentice, a river pilot's apprentice, among other things. Twain had aspirations of becoming a writer and finally caught a break when his short story "The celebrated Jumping Frog of Calavaras County" became an instant hit. The story involves a man who is addicted to gambling, and essentially bets on a frog that he believes will win in a jumping competition. Although a simple story, Twain's style not only gave the story life, but also made the story an easy and enjoyable read.
Following years in which he was a short story as well as a travel writer, Twain really began to hit his stride.
Twain became a journalist, and wrote another collection of short stories, named the Innocents Abroad. The book is noted for the conflicts that are involved throughout, as well as the vivid events that can dramatically change life as it is completely. As it turns out, it went on to become one of Twain's most popular works, and one of the more recognizable works he completed during his career.
Twain's gems during his career would have to be the Adventures of Tom Sawyer as well as the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Tom Sawyer was loosely based on Twain's childhood while growing up in the small town of Hannibal, and follows the path of his life. Following his success with this novel, he went on to write Huckleberry Finn as well. While Huckleberry Finn involved a slave escaping down the Mississippi, Twain intelligently inserted Finn in his first novel, as he was introduced as a good friend of Tom Sawyer.
Twain married Olivia Langdon in 1870. Twain had 4 children with her, 3 girls, and one boy, who unfortunately died a little over a year after his birth. Twain and his wife were always traveling and moving from place to place, his success as a writer gave them the ability to live relatively comfortable for a period of time. Twain encountered money problems that eventually caught up with them, requiring them to live in various locations later in their marriage. His wife passed away in 1904.
Twain always had certain beliefs throughout his life that he stuck to. He was an anti-imperialist, and often spoke strongly against imperialism in the United States, as well as other countries as well. He supported abolition and fought for woman's rights throughout his life. His views may have had an influence on his later writings before his death, that often included cruel situations, spoke of greed, and involved questioning the human race. Numerous speeches and writings that questioned the government were given shortly before his death.
The death of his daughter Susy due to meningitis in 1896 began Twain's deep state of depression. Following his wife's death in 1904, and his other daughter, Jean's death in 1909, Twain was essentially left empty. Twain died of a heart attack on April 21, 1910. His writings are still very much popular today, and Twain's legacy as a writer made him one of the more influential writers in American History.
