Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) was born on November 30, 1835 when Halley's comet was in the sky. It was an important date for American literary history. Read about the other days in Mark Twain's life...
1835 Samuel Clemens was born prematurely on November 30 in at Florida, Missouri. (Halley’s Comet was visible.)
1839 The family moved to Hannibal, Missouri.
1847 His father died on March 24.
1848 He became a printer's apprentice.
1850 He began working for his brother, Orion, who had purchased the "Western Union" newspaper,
1852 Several of his sketches were published, including "The Dandy Frightening the Squatter."
1853He moved to St. Louis, New York and Philadelphia.
1854 He visited Washington, DC in February.
1857 He became a cub-pilot for Horace Bixby, learning the river by day and night.
1858 Sam's youngest brother, Henry Clemens, died from injuries he incurred in a steamboat accident.
1859 He became a fully licensed riverboat pilot.
1861 The Civil War broke out, ending riverboat travel. After a brief stint as a soldier, he journeyed to Carson City, Nevada with his brother, Orion.
1862 He explored Nevada and California.
1865 "Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog"was published, and brought him recognition.
1866 He was sent to Hawaii as a correspondent. He wrote travel letters, and lectured on his experiences when he returned to California.
1867 He traveled through Europe and the Holy Land, sending travel letters along the way. His journey also provided material for "The Innocents Abroad," which would become his first published book.
1869 He became engaged to Olivia Langdon of Elmira, New York on February 4. His first book, "The Innocents Abroad," was published.
1870 He married Olivia Langdon on February 2, 1870. A son, Langdon, was born November 7, but he died in infancy.
1872 A daughter, Susy, was born on March 19. "Roughing It" was published.
1873 "The Guilded Age" was published.
1874 A daughter, Clara, was born on June 8.
1876 "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" was published.
1878 He traveled through Europe with his family.
1880 A daughter, Jean, was born on July 26. "A Tramp Abroad" was published.
1882 "The Prince and the Pauper" was published.
1883 "Life on the Mississippi" was published.
1885 "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" was published.
1889 "Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" was published.
1890 His mother died.
1891 He traveled through Europe with his family.
1892 "Extracts from Adam's Diary" was published.
1894 "Pudd'nhead Wilson" was published.
1895 He filed for bankruptcy. His daughter, Susy, died of meningitis on August 18.
1896 "Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc" was published.
1897 "Following the Equator" was published.
1900 "The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg and Other Stories" was published.
1901 He received an honorary doctorate from Yale University.
1902 He received an honorary doctorate from University of Missouri.
1903 He sailed for Florence, Italy with Olivia.
1904 His wife, Olivia, died in Florence on June 5, and he returned to New York.
1905 "Extracts from Eve's Diary" was published.
1906 "What is Man" was published.
1907 He received an honorary degree from Oxford.
1909 His daughter, Clara, married Ossip Gabrilowitsch at Stormfield, on October 6. His daughter, Jean, died on December 24.
1910 He died on April 21. He was buried in his wife’s family’s plot, in Woodlawn Cemetery, in Elmira, New York.
1962 "Letters from Earth" was published.
