Today in History

April 21, 1910

Samuel Langhorne Clemens Dies

Born on November 30, 1835 Samuel Langhorne Clemens better known as Mark Twain, died on this day in 1910. Clemens was America's earliest and foremost humorist, satirist, lecturer and writer. His novels The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer are American classics.

Clemens began his writing career as an apprentice to a printer while also contributing articles for his brother Orion's newspaper based in Nevada. After becoming a Mississippi riverboat pilot, Clemens left the South to join his brother in Nevada, where Orion would eventually become the only secretary of the Nevada Territory.

Clemens was a successful writer, but a much less successful investor. He filed bankruptcy after losing most of his writing earnings to a failed invention, but eventually repaid all of his creditors even though he was not legally required to.

Samuel was born shortly after Haley's comet appeared in the sky, and he was heard saying that he would "go out with it, too." Clemens died the day after the comet reappeared in 1910.

You are free to use this content in your own newsletters and emails with your clients. Travel Research Online is a free service to all professional travel agents offering more than 750 destination guides, epostcards and other marketing and research tools.