Mark Twain

American author and humorist Samuel Lanhgorne Clemens (1835-1910) is best remembered by his pen name, Mark Twain. Twain is the author of many essays, short stories, and novels, including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and its sequel, Adventures of Huck Finn. During his lifetime, Twain achieved fame on the lecture circuit and his celebrity is part of his legacy. Over the past century and a half, readers have hailed Twain as a compelling writer and a keen observer of American life. His works have been translated into more than 75 languages.

Pilot, Traveler, Writer

Twain, who grew up in Hannibal, Missouri, a town on the banks of the Mississippi, famously took his pen name from his experience as a riverboat pilot on the Mississippi. During his time as a pilot, Twain also became a Freemason. He joined Polar Star Lodge No. 79 in St. Louis – a lodge which counted many river men among its members – in 1861. Twain demitted in 1869 and did not participate in Freemasonry for the rest of his life. Often remembered today for his novels, Twain’s best-selling work during his lifetime—The Innocents Abroad—was a travel book published in 1869 and is based on Twain’s 1867 trip to Europe and the Holy Land.  Twain, through his writing, humor, and satirical wit, transformed American literature and left an enduring mark on popular culture.

Photo Caption: Mark Twain in Constantinople, ca. 1867. Shapell Manuscript Collection.