Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was born on November 30, 1835, in Florida, Missouri. He grew up in the nearby town of Hannibal, which would later serve as the inspiration for many of his most famous works. Twain's early life was marked by the hardships of frontier living; his father died when he was just 12, forcing him to leave school and work various jobs to support his family. Despite these challenges, Twain developed a love for storytelling and literature, influenced by the oral traditions of his community.

Twain's literary career began in earnest in the early 1860s when he started writing for newspapers. His big break came with the publication of "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" in 1865, which captivated audiences with its humor and regional dialect. This success paved the way for his later masterpieces, including "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" (1876) and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" (1884), the latter often hailed as one of the greatest American novels. Twain's works are characterized by their keen social commentary, humor, and exploration of complex themes such as race and identity.

In his personal life, Twain experienced both triumphs and tragedies. He married Olivia Langdon in 1870, and the couple had four children, though they faced significant loss with the deaths of three of their children. Twain's later years were marked by financial difficulties and the death of his beloved wife, which profoundly affected him. Despite these challenges, he continued to write, travel, and speak publicly until his death on April 21, 1910, in Redding, Connecticut. Mark Twain's legacy as a master storyteller and astute observer of human nature endures, making him a seminal figure in American literature.