Mark Twain

Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens, 1835–1910), often called the father of American literature, was the greatest humorist of his age and a writer who brought distinctive American themes and language to readers for more than three decades. Twain was a master of colloquial speech and, with inimitable genius, produced countless works, from essays on America’s unacceptable social realities to such classics as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Twain was born during a visit by Halley’s Comet and went out with it as well, dying the day after the comet’s return.

Photograph by A. F. Bradley.