Birth year of Mark Twain. Mark Twain short biography

Twain Mark(Samuel Lenghorne Clemens) (1835-1910)

American writer. Born in Florida, Missouri. He spent his childhood in the town of Hannibal on the Mississippi. He was an apprentice compositor and later published a newspaper with his brother in Hannibal, then in Mescatine and Keokuk, Iowa. In 1857 he became a pilot's apprentice, having realized his childhood dream of "knowing the river", in April 1859 he received the rights of a pilot.

In 1861 he moved to his brother in Nevada, for almost a year he was a prospector in the silver mines. Having written several humoresques for the Territorial Enterprise newspaper in Virginia City, in August 1862 he received an invitation to become its employee. For a pseudonym, he took the expression of lotovs on the Mississippi, who called out "Measure 2", which meant sufficient depth for safe navigation.

In May 1864, Twain left for San Francisco, worked for two years in California newspapers, incl. Correspondent of the California "Union" in the Hawaiian Islands. In 1871 he moved to Hartford, Connecticut, where he lived for 20 years, his happiest years. In 1884 he founded a publishing firm.

Twain came to literature late. At the age of 27 he became a professional journalist, at the age of 34 he published his first book. The early publications are interesting mainly as evidence of a good knowledge of the gruff humor of the American hinterland. From the very beginning, his newspaper publications bore the features of an artistic essay.

In 1872, the autobiographical book "The Hardened" was published - about the people and customs of the Wild West. Three years later, Twain released a collection of his best stories - "Old and New Essays", after which his popularity increased dramatically. In 1876 he published The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and the phenomenal success of the book forced him to write a sequel called The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Between these novels, Twain released another autobiographical book, Life on the Mississippi. He was fond of the history of the European Middle Ages and first wrote the story "The Prince and the Pauper", then the novel "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court". In 1895 he traveled around the world, visiting Australia, New Zealand, Ceylon, India and South Africa with lectures.

Died in Rudding, Connecticut.

Biography and episodes of life Mark Twain. When born and died Mark Twain, memorable places and dates important events his life. writer quotes, Photo and video.

Mark Twain years of life:

born November 30, 1835, died April 21, 1910

Epitaph

"Let's live so that even the undertaker will regret us when we die!"
Aphorism of Mark Twain

"He
With one hand
Carries me
Instantly
On beach
majestic river.
And I see
In a silver swell
A life
On the Mississippi."
From a poem by Nikolai Aseev about Mark Twain

Biography

Mark Twain, the immortal creator of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, received worldwide recognition and love in the first place thanks to these books about boy friends growing up on the Mississippi. Like his other most famous work, The Prince and the Pauper, they are considered childish in our time. Meanwhile, Twain was an amazingly witty and experienced person and by no means a children's writer. Interesting life, huge talent observer, a sense of humor, reaching sarcasm - all this made Twain the writer whom Hemingway called the founder of modern American literature.

Samuel Clemens was born on the old american south and lost his father early. The young man was forced to earn money with his own hands and for some time worked part-time at a publishing house, and then learned to be a pilot. The image of the great southern Mississippi River, along which Samuel drove ships, left a vivid imprint in his heart and then appeared more than once in his works.

The war broke out between the North and the South, and Clemens ended up in the army. A few months were enough for him: the young man deserted and went to his older brother in Nevada, which was rapidly developing at that time due to the silver deposits discovered there. Samuel took a job at the mine, worked as a miner. There he began to write for a local newspaper, and this determined his entire future fate.

Twain's creative path began quite late: at the age of 27, Twain began to write articles and stories, and only at 34 did he write his first significant thing. But he was lucky: the editor of the newspaper for which he worked immediately saw the talent of the young author. The humorous story "The Famous Jumping Frog of Calaveras" was reprinted in all cities of the country and finally approved the editors in the opinion that Mark Twain should be "allowed to turn around." He was sent on a trip to Hawaii, obligated to send written travel reports. Upon his return, Twain toured the state, giving humorous lectures (today it would be called the word "stand-up") and gathering full houses.

The first half of Mark Twain's work is full of light, crackling humor and saturated with living language. ordinary people. The second is much more serious, more social, full of irony, often bitter. Such is the "Yankee from Connecticut", such is the last unfinished thing by Mark Twain - "The Mysterious Stranger". In the last years of his life, the writer touched on very deep topics: he thought about God from the standpoint of a categorical atheist, racial injustice from the standpoint of its ardent opponent, and social structure from the standpoint of a socialist who sympathizes with the revolutionary movement.

Twain loved his family very much, but he was destined to outlive his three children and his wife. This could not but affect the state of the writer himself. He predicted his death a year in advance, saying that he came to this world with the arrival of Halley's comet and expects to leave with its return. And so it happened: the next year, the writer's long-standing illness worsened, and they barely managed to transport him from Bermuda, where he spent the winter. A few weeks later, Mark Twain died of acute angina pectoris at his home in Redding.

life line

November 30, 1835 Birth date of Samuel Langorn Clemens (Mark Twain).
1847 Leaving school, starting work in a printing house.
1857 Returning home from Iowa, becoming a pilot's apprentice.
1859 Obtaining the rights of a pilot, the beginning of work on the river.
1861 Joining the Confederate army, desertion, escape to Nevada.
1862 Invitation to work in the publishing house.
1866 Trip to Hawaii.
1869 The release of Twain's first serious book, Simpletons Abroad.
1870 Marriage to Olivia Langdon.
1871 Moving with family to Hartford, Connecticut. Organization of a home "Morning Club for Youth".
1876 Creation of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
1882 Creation of the book "The Prince and the Pauper".
1883 Creation of the book Life on the Mississippi.
1889 Publication of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.
1901 Honorary Doctorate from Yale University.
1907 Honorary Doctorate from the University of Oxford.
April 21, 1910 Date of death of Mark Twain.
1916 Posthumous publication last composition Mark Twain "No. 44. The mysterious stranger."

Memorable places

1. City of Florida (Missouri), where Mark Twain was born.
2. The city of Hannibal, where Mark Twain's family moved when he was 4 years old.
3. San Francisco, where Mark Twain lived from 1864
4. Hawaii, where Mark Twain visited in 1866
5. Sevastopol, where Mark Twain visited in 1867
6. Mark Twain House Museum in Hartford (Connecticut) at st. Farmington, 351, where the writer lived in 1874-1891.
7. Florence, under which Mark Twain lived in Villa di Quattro in 1903-1904.
8. Redding, where Mark Twain lived the last years of his life and died in his house "Stormfield".
9. Bermuda, where Mark Twain spent the winter from 1905 until the last months before his death.
10. Woodlawn Cemetery in Elmira, where Mark Twain is buried.

Episodes of life

The combination of words chosen by Samuel as a pseudonym is a conventional message exchanged between pilots on the river. Literally, it translates as "double mark" and denotes the maximum depth for the passage of the vessel.

Mark Twain traveled extensively, alone and with his family. He traveled to Europe and Asia, Jamaica and Cuba; in Paris he met with Turgenev, in London - with Darwin and Henry James, was acquainted with Maxim Gorky.

Mark Twain was very fond of cats, billiards and a pipe, and in many photographs he is depicted with one of the objects of his hobbies.

Testaments

“The power of one man over others means oppression—invariably and always oppression; though not always conscious, deliberate, deliberate, not always severe, or grave, or cruel, or indiscriminate, but one way or another, always oppression in one form or another. To whomever you hand over power, it will certainly manifest itself in oppression.

“Set a goal every day to do something that you don’t like. This is Golden Rule will help you to do your duty without aversion.”

"When in doubt, tell the truth."

“It’s not that we don’t know something that leads us to trouble, but that we know “for sure”, and this knowledge is erroneous.”

"Pessimism is just a word for wisdom by the faint of heart."

Documentary about Mark Twain, Project Encyclopedia

condolences

“The only, incomparable, Lincoln of our literature.<…>The eternal teenager is the heart of a boy and the head of a sage."
William Dean Howells, American writer

“He could become someone; he almost became someone; but it never did."
Walt Whitman, American poet

"Praising Mark Twain is like whitewashing birches."
Howard Taft, 27th President of the United States

"Mark Twain threw his genius into the service of man, to strengthen his faith in himself, to help ensure that the human soul develops in the direction of justice, goodness and beauty."
Yuri Olesha, Soviet writer

Biography, life story of Mark Twain

Samuel Langhorn Clemens was born in the United States in a small Florida village, which is located in the state of Missouri. The boy was born on 11/30/1835 in the family of a local judge.

Childhood

The Clemens family moved to Hannibal, near the borders of Rolls and Marion counties, when Samuel was only four years old. Having spent his childhood years there, which left a huge baggage of impressions, Clemens, who became Twain, subsequently described Hannibal and its inhabitants in the famous book called The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

In 1847, Samuel's father died, leaving the family heavily indebted. This forced little Clemens to start his career at the age of twelve, helping his older brother publish his own newspaper. It was there that Sam began publishing his first articles.

Youth

In his youth, Samuel Clemens wandered the United States for several years, worked for some time as a pilot on the Mississippi. However Civil War between North and South destroyed the private shipping company and the young man was forced to abandon this profession, although he was ready, by his own admission, to devote his life to it.

Journalism

In 1861, Clemens, having moved to Nevada with his older brother, worked for some time as a prospector in the silver mines. However, he quickly became convinced that fortune was not on his side, and, having moved to Virginia, he began working in a local newspaper called the Territorial Enterprise, signing articles with the pseudonym Mark Twain. Then in 1864, Samuel Clemens changed his place of residence again. He moved to San Francisco, where he began to collaborate with several periodicals. The public appreciated the brisk pen of the young journalist.

The beginning of writing

In 1865 Mark Twain published humorous story, called "The Famous Frog Leaping from Calaveras", which was written based on American folklore. Americans read this work in almost every corner of the country. The story was awarded the title of best American work in the humorous genre at the time. Twain wrote this story during a fairly long journey on a steamboat. He sailed on it from the USA to Europe and further to Palestine. The story brought the first writer's success to the novice author.

CONTINUED BELOW

Published in 1769, Mark Twain's book "Simples Abroad" consolidated the success of the writer. Her popularity was truly incredible. Many Americans associated the name of Mark Twain with this collection of travel essays throughout his life. In 1870 Twain moved first to Buffalo and then to Hartford. This happened shortly after his marriage to Olivia Langdon. Marrying this woman allowed Twain to get to know quite closely representatives of big American business, industrialists.

In 1876, Mark Twain published his famous "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer", which became a classic of American and world literature, which was a resounding success. In 1885 he wrote and published a sequel to this book called The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The reading public has ceased to perceive the writer as the author of humorous works, albeit brilliant ones. These two brilliant books opened before them another America, where one can easily face violence and cruelty, racism and class injustice. However whole line Twain's works, which were of an acute social nature, were never published in the United States during his lifetime. famous writer nor in the many years that have passed since his death.

Last years life

With the beginning of the 90s of the XIX century, a rather difficult period began in the writer's biography. In 1894, the publishing company owned by Mark Twain suddenly went bankrupt. He had to urgently think about other sources of income. The writer made extremely tiring and rather long trips, actively speaking to his readers. The same reason made him spend a whole year in world tour. Mark Twain arranged public meetings with readers, lectures for university students, where he himself read his works, in many cities of the Old and New Worlds. Having seen the world once again, Mark Twain at the turn of the century became a debunker of imperial predatory ambitions, a passionate opponent of the colonial policy pursued by business and the US government. This was expressed in the writing during these years of a whole series of sarcastic pamphlets. The work of Mark Twain during this period bore the imprint of bitterness, pessimism, sarcasm and even misanthropic moods.

Samuel Langhorn Clemens died in Redding, Connecticut. The life of the writer Mark Twain ended on April 21, 1910. He was buried in Elmira, a small town in the state of New York, at the local Woodlawn Cemetery.

The prominent American writer and journalist Mark Twain was born on November 30, 1835, in the village of Florida, Missouri (Midwest USA). The real name of the writer is Samuel Lenghorne Clemens. Mark Twain is a pseudonym that he took for himself in his early youth. Mark Twain's father was a judge, and almost nothing is known about the writer's mother, Jane Lampton Clemens.

Biography

Mark Twain spent his childhood in the small town of Hannibal, where his father opened a small law office. In the family, in addition to Samuel, there were four more children. As the writer recalled, they lived quite modestly and sometimes even needed. Things got even worse when the father died of pneumonia in 1847, leaving his children nothing but huge debts.

At a fairly young age, Samuel had to earn his own living. When his older brother Oyron tried to get into publishing and started publishing a newspaper, Samuel worked part-time as a printer and sometimes wrote rather sharp and sharp articles. Although, in those days, he did not think at all about the career of a writer. Sam was drawn to the sea and dreamed of becoming a sailor. Therefore, he got a job as a pilot's assistant on a steamboat that operated regular voyages along the Mississippi. It was at this time that Samuel chose a pseudonym for himself. On the English language the marine term "mark twain" (mark two fathoms), meant that the depth of the river is quite enough for the safe passage of a river vessel.

But Sam's maritime career, to his great regret, ends already in 1861. The Civil War begins and the private shipping company is closed. The future writer leaves to seek his fortune in Nevada, works for some time in silver mines, then, like all Americans covered by the "gold rush", moves to California and joins numerous gold diggers. True, even then his first articles, essays and humorous stories periodically appeared in the provincial newspapers.

In 1862, he conceived a trip to Palestine. According to the researchers of his work, at that time he had already joined the Polar Star Masonic Lodge and this trip was a kind of creative business trip. In 1864 he returned to America, settled in San Francisco and began to write immediately for several fairly large newspapers and magazines. The first success came to him in 1865, after the publication of the satirical essay "The famous jumping frog from Calaveras."

Then, in 1867, Mark Twain makes another fascinating journey through Europe, visits Greece, France, Turkey, stops by the Crimea and Odessa. The result of this trip is a collection of travel essays, "Simples Abroad", which Mark Twain publishes in 1869. The writer, with great humor and irony, spoke about his foreign travels and wittily showed how ridiculous his fellow citizens outside the United States can behave. The book immediately became a real bestseller. At the same time, Mark begins to give his famous public lectures. He has always been a great speaker. According to the memoirs of contemporaries, the audience at Twain's performances simply sobbed with laughter.

By 1670, the name of Mark Twain is already known to all of America. He is a successful and sought-after journalist and writer. Mark marries Olivia Langdon and the young family moves to the city of Buffalo, located in the suburbs of New York. The works of Mark Twain of this period, sharp and topical, have not only many admirers, but also opponents. Mark Twain, at times, does not choose expressions and rather sharply criticizes both the American way of life and the American political and economic system. At this time, several collections were published: "Tempered" (1871), "The Gilded Age" (1873). The most notable book of this period can be considered a collection of stories "Life on the Mississippi", which was published in 1883. Mark Twain not only writes a lot, but also leads a large social activities. And in America, and in England, and in other European countries, his lectures are a huge success. Among his fans are not only ordinary people, but also many prominent public figures, writers and artists. A brilliant physicist, a student of Einstein, Nikola Tesla, with whom Mark Twain is very close friends, is also fond of his work.

In 1876, Mark Twain published a novel that immediately allowed his name to be included in the list of the largest American writers, "Adventures of Tom Sawyer". This wise, witty and philosophical book is still a desktop not only for all girls and boys, but also for many adults. Four years later, she releases her second novel, The Prince and the Pauper, which is also a great success.

But, perhaps, a work that simply turned American literature and very accurately determined the political views of the writer, was the novel "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", which was published in 1884. Mark Twain had no doubt that modern world built on the principles of inequality. He believed that in a "democratic" American society, the rights of ordinary people are infringed and that the vaunted American "freedom of speech" is soap bubble that bursts at the slightest touch. These ideas of equality, freedom, tolerance, without which true democracy is impossible, run like a red thread through all his works related to mature and late periods creativity, and become at the forefront of the novel about the adventures of a small, impoverished and defenseless boy Huckleberry.

The writer's political principles were also reflected in his keynote speech "Knights of Labor - a new dynasty", which he delivered in 1886 at the Monday Night Club. This speech was translated into many languages ​​and in many ways supported those revolutionary sentiments that were already in the air around the world at the end of the 19th century.

No less than politics, Mark Twain was interested in history at this time. In 1886, he published the grotesque novel A Yankee in King Arthur's Court, which also contains a lot of attacks on American society. In fact, this is the last significant work of the writer.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a black streak begins in the life of Mark Twain. His adored wife Olivia dies, three of his four children tragically pass away, the publishing house in which he has invested his whole soul goes bankrupt. Mark Twain plunges into a deep depression, almost never leaves the house and does not communicate with people. He continues to write, but only pessimistic works filled with sadness and pain come out from under his pen: “The Deal with Satan” (1904), “Eve's Diary” (1905), “The Mysterious Stranger” (published posthumously in 1916). Mark Twain begins to immerse himself in mysticism and seeks the true meaning of life in religion. No wonder his hero recent books becomes Satan himself, who reigns supreme in this world.

Mark Twain's health finally deteriorated when in 1909 he lost his close friend, oil magnate Henry Rogers. On April 21, 1910, Mark Twain died at home from an attack of angina pectoris. America has lost another great son, citizen and writer.

Twain's Major Achievements

• "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" (1876)
• "The Prince and the Pauper" (1881)
• "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" (1884)
• "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" (1889)
• "Simples Abroad" (1869)
• "Hardened" (1871)
• "Life on the Mississippi" (1883)

Important dates in Twain's biography

• 1847 - father's death
• 1862 travel to Palestine
• 1865 - the first essay "The famous galloping frog from Calaveras" 1867 - travel through Europe
• 1869 - "Simples abroad"
• 1870 - married to Olivia Langdon
• 1884 novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

• Mark Twain was born the year that Halley's comet hit the earth. The writer himself attached great importance to this fact.
• Mark Twain was the first writer to type his works on a typewriter.
• Mark Twain loved billiards and often gambled
• In honor of Mark Twain, the Americans named the crater on Mercury

Mark Twain, short biography which is presented in the article below, is famous writer. He is loved and respected all over the world, he won fame for his talent. How were his days, what important happened in his life? Read the answers below.

A little about the writer

The works of Mark Twain are read at school, as they are included in the compulsory course. All adults and young people know this writer, so here will be a brief biography of Mark Twain for grade 5, because around this time children get acquainted with his exciting books. Our hero was not only a writer, but also a person with an active life position. His work is very diverse and reflects life path- just as rich and varied. He wrote in many genres, from satire to philosophical fiction. In each of them he remained faithful to humanism. At the peak of his popularity, he was considered one of the most prominent Americans. Russian creators spoke of him very flatteringly: especially Gorky and Kuprin. Twain became famous thanks to his two books - The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Childhood

Mark Twain, whose brief biography is the subject of our article, was born in Missouri in the fall of 1845. After some time, the family changed their place of residence, moving to the city of Hannibal. In his books, he described the inhabitants of this city most often. Soon the head of the family died, and all responsibility passed to the young boys. The older brother took up the publishing business in order to somehow provide for his family. - Samuel Langhorn Clemens) tried to contribute, so he worked part-time with his brother as a typesetter, and later as an author of articles. The guy decided to write the boldest and brightest articles only when his older brother Orion left somewhere for a long time.

When the Civil War began, Samuel decided to try himself as a pilot on a ship. Soon he returned from sailing and decided to leave the terrible events of the war as far as possible. The future writer often repeated that if it were not for the war, he would have devoted his whole life to working as a pilot. In 1861 he went to the west - to where silver is mined. Not feeling a true attraction to the chosen case, he decides to take up journalism. He is taken to work in a newspaper in Virginia, and then Clemens begins to write under his pseudonym.

Nickname

The real name of our hero is Samuel Clemens. He said that he came up with his pseudonym while working as a pilot on a steamboat, using terms from river navigation. Literally, it means "two mark". There is another version of the origin of the pseudonym. In 1861, Artemus Ward published a humorous story about three sailors. One of them was called M. Twain. The most interesting thing is that S. Clemenes loved and often publicly read the works of A. Ward.

Success

The biography of Mark Twain (briefly) indicates that in 1860, after the author had visited Europe, he published a book called "Simples Abroad". It was she who brought him first glory, and literary society America has finally turned its close attention to the young author.

Besides writing, what else did Mark Twain live for? A short biography for kids will tell you that almost a decade later, the writer falls in love and moves to Hartford with his fiancée. During the same period of time, he begins to criticize American society in his satirical works and lecture in educational institutions.

The biography of Mark Twain in English (briefly) will tell us that in 1976 the writer publishes the book The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, which in the future brings him worldwide fame. After 8 years, he writes the second famous work titled The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. most popular historical novel The author is The Prince and the Pauper.

Science and other interests

Does Mark Twain have anything to do with science? A short biography of the writer is simply impossible without mentioning science! He was very interested in new ideas and theories. His good friend was Nikola Tesla, with whom they did some experiments together. It is known that two friends could not leave the laboratory for hours, doing another experiment. In one of his books, the writer used a rich technical description, saturated with the smallest details. This indicates that he was not just familiar with certain terms. In fact, he had in-depth knowledge in many areas.

What else was Mark Twain interested in? A brief biography will tell you that he was an excellent speaker and often spoke in public. He knew how to literally capture the spirit of the listeners and not let go until the end of his speech. Understanding the impact he can have on people and already having a sufficient number of useful connections, the writer was engaged in what he found young talents and helped them break through, show their talent. Unfortunately, most of his recordings and lectures public speaking were simply lost. Some he himself banned from publishing.

Twain was also a Freemason. He joined the Polar Star lodge in St. Louis in the spring of 1861.

Last years

The most difficult time for the writer was his last years of life. One gets the feeling that all the troubles decided to fall on him overnight. In the literary field, there was a decline in creative forces, and at the same time, the financial situation was rapidly deteriorating. After that, he suffered great grief: his wife Olivia Langdon and three of the four children died. Surprisingly, M. Twain still tried not to lose heart and even joked sometimes! The great and talented writer died in the spring of 1910 from angina pectoris.