Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, was born in the tiny village of Florida, Missouri, on November 30, 1835. He’s best known, of course, as the author of the classic American novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. But Clemens considered himself a journalist first. At age 15, …
IN A RENTED TWO-ROOM clapboard cabin, Samuel Langhorne Clemens was born on November 30, 1835. He was the sixth child of John and Jane Clemens. That cabin still stands, protected by a museum. Merritt Alexander “Dad” Violette, whose mother had known the Clemens family in Florida, Missouri, bought the deteriorated cabin in 1915 and moved …
An Ouija board, a posthumous novel, and a lawsuit create and odd coda for Mark Twain. In the summer of 1918, New York publisher Mitchell Kennerley found himself the subject of an unusual lawsuit. The previous year, Kennerley had published a novel by the late Mark Twain, titled Jap Herron. Twain’s estate, represented by his …
Missouri’s literary legacy looms large, but here are works that have changed the way people think about the Show-Me State.
Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was published. At first it was met with mixed to negative reviews, but it is now considered one of the greatest pieces of American literature.
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, who wrote under the pen name Mark Twain, has been hailed as the “greatest humorist the United States has produced.” And you can celebrate the 188th anniversary of his birth in a fabulously fun way on Nov. 25, 2023.
These 14 affordable, family-friendly Missouri destinations will thrill both children and adults. We’ve got fun stops for families who love the outdoors, and for those who’d rather spend summer days out of the heat. Start planning your route!
The 1973 film adaptation of Tom Sawyer, filmed entirely on location in Missouri, featured some very grand female stars, including one that was uncredited yet central to the story.
Mark Twain (Samuel L. Clemens) became intimate with the Mississippi River while working on steamboats for about five years, first as a “cub” or apprentice, and later as a pilot until the Civil War broke out. He once said he knew stretches of the mighty river as well as he knew the hallway of his …
Samuel Clemens—who later changed his name to Mark Twain—was born in Florida, Missouri. Haley’s Comet was seen across the night sky at that time, and Twain later told people that he rode in on Haley’s Comet and he would someday ride out.
On this date Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) got his Mississippi River Boat Pilot License.
Samuel Clemens used the name “Mark Twain” for the first time.