MarkTwain(pseudonymofSamuelLanghorneClemens,1835-1910),wasanAmericanwriter,journalistandhumorist,whowonaworldwideaudienceforhisstoriesoftheyouthfuladventuresofTomSawyerandHuckleberryFinn.

　　ClemenswasbornonNovember30,1835inFlorida,Missouri,ofaVirginianfamily.HewasbroughtupinHannibal,Missouri.Afterhisfather'sdeathin1847,hewasapprenticedtoaprinterandwroteforhisbrother'snewspaper.HelaterworkedasalicensedMississippiriver-boatpilot.TheCivilWarputanendtothesteamboattrafficandClemensmovedtoVirginiaCity,whereheeditedtheTerritorialEnterprise.OnFebruary3,1863,'MarkTwain'wasbornwhenClemenssignedahumoroustravelaccountwiththatpseudonym.

　　In1864TwainleftforCalifornia,andworkedinSanFranciscoasareporter.HevisitedHawaiiasacorrespondentforTheSacramentoUnion,publishinglettersonhistripandgivinglectures.Hesetoutonaworldtour,travelinginFranceandItaly.Hisexperienceswererecordedin1869inTheInnocentsAbroad,whichgainedhimwidepopularity,andpokedfunatbothAmericanandEuropeanprejudicesandmanners.

　　ThesuccessasawritergaveTwainenoughfinancialsecuritytomarryOliviaLangdonin1870.TheymovednextyeartoHartford.TwaincontinuedtolectureintheUnitedStatesandEngland.Between1876and1884hepublishedseveralmasterpieces,TomSawyer(1881)andThePrinceAndThePauper(1881).LifeOnTheMississippiappearedin1883andHuckleberryFinnin1884.

　　Inthe1890sTwainlostmostofhisearningsinfinancialspeculationsandinthefailureofhisownpublishingfirm.Torecoverfromthebankruptcy,hestartedaworldlecturetour,duringwhichoneofhisdaughtersdied.TwaintouredNewZealand,Australia,India,andSouthAfrica.HewrotesuchbooksasTheTragedyOfPudd'headWilson(1884),PersonalRecollectionsOfJoanOfArc(1885),AConnecticutYankeeinKingArthur'sCourt(1889)andthetravelbookFollowingTheEquator(1897).Duringhislongwritingcareer,Twainalsoproducedaconsiderablenumberofessays.

　　Thedeathofhiswifeandhisseconddaughterdarkenedtheauthor'slateryears,whichisseeninhisposthumouslypublishedautobiography(1924).TwaindiedonApril21,1910.