When Did Mark Twain Die?

When Mark Twain Died

Samuel Clemens and Mark Twain rode out of life on the tail of Halley’s Comet on April 21, 1910. As the return of Halley’s Comet was drawing near, Twain was quoted as saying that he would be very disappointed if he did not go out with it as he had come in with it.

Clemen's Early Years

Clemens was born in Florida, Missouri in 1835. His birth occurred during one of the most interesting celestial events of the 1800s. Halley’s Comet was two weeks past its closest approach to the Earth as Jane Lampton Clemens gave birth to her sixth child, Samuel L. Clemens.

Samuel Clemens lost his father early in life and was forced to find work to help support the family. His first job was as an apprentice printer with the Hannibal Journal. He continued his work there until 1851, when he was made a typesetter and contributed articles and humorous sketches.

From the ages of 18 to 22, he traveled from Missouri to New York, Cincinnati, Philadelphia and St. Louis. While working as a printer he educated himself in the evenings at the local libraries. His self-teachings educated him on a wider variety of information than any traditional school would have.

Clemen's in his 20s

At the age of 22, he returned to Missouri. He had become fascinated with the idea of becoming a pilot of a steamboat on the Mississippi River. He worked two years memorizing over 2000 miles of riverbed before he obtained his license as a pilot. Clemens continued as a pilot until the Civil War broke out and travel along the Mississippi was reduced. In 1861, he and his brother left Missouri heading for Virginia City, Nevada. His brother had been appointed as the secretary to the Governor of the Nevada Territory.

Their two-week journey out West allowed Clemens to see a number of sights including The Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains and the Mormon Community in Salt Lake City, Utah. Upon arriving in Virginia City at the height of their silver rush, Clemens tried his hand at mining.

Clemen's Beginnings as Twain

He then found work at the Virginia City newspaper. It was here that Clemens first used the pseudonym that stayed with him until he died. Therefore, this is why, when asking when did Mark Twain die, that the answer is that he died with Samuel Clemens.

Twain then moved further west in the pursuit of his journalistic career. He arrived in San Francisco. Twain’s first great success was when the New York Saturday Press published his humorous story, “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” in 1865.

Twain's Travels

Twain’s travels around the globe were frequent throughout his life. He took his first trip, headed to the Sandwich Islands, now known as the state of Hawaii, when he was commissioned to visit as a reporter for the Sacramento Union newspaper.

The following year a local newspaper paid him to travel to the Mediterranean. His trip abroad allowed him to visit Europe and the Middle East. During this trip, he met his future brother-in-law. He was married within a few short years and, through his wife’s family, was able to meet many famous people. His wife’s family was wealthy and had liberal views on many issues of the day.

Twain's Writing and Politics

Twain was introduced to leaders including abolitionists, socialists, atheists and political activists. In his life, Twain was very outspoken on issues such as slavery, racism and animal cruelty. His views on religion were rather different from the views held during his youth when he was brought up as a Presbyterian. He incorporated many of his liberal ideas into his writing. Twain’s writing career spanned most of his life. His most famous works were “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” These were written in 1876 and 1884 respectively. Interspersed with these works was a multitude of other works that were both fictional and non-fictional in scope. His travels allowed him to amass a small library of travel guides and articles.