Samuel Clemens—who later changed his name to Mark Twain—was born in Florida, Missouri. Halley’s Comet was seen across the night sky just before his birth, and Twain later told people that he rode in on Halley’s Comet and he would someday ride out. Read more about Mark Twain here.
This post was contributed by Ross Malone. A historian and a retired school teacher, Ross has authored many books about Missouri’s history, weird facts, and folk tales. He has also written children’s historical fiction. Visit his website, and buy his books in the Missouri Life store.
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Today is the birthday of statesman John Brooks Henderson from Lincoln County, MO. He was appointed a Senator and, after Lincoln's death, Henderson co-wrote the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution which prohibited slavery in the U.S.
November 24, 1868
Reported birthday of the "King of Ragtime," Scott Joplin. When a musician's work is still popular a century after his death, he did it right.
November 4, 1916
News anchorman Walter Cronkite was born in St. Joseph. He grew up in Kansas City until he was ten until he moved to Texas. You can learn more about his life here or by visiting the Walter Cronkite Memorial in St. Joseph.