Mark Twain, whose brief biography is presented in the article below, is a famous writer. He is loved and respected throughout the world, he gained fame with his talent. How did his days go, what important happened in his life? Read the answers below.
A little bit about the writer
Mark Twain's works are read at school, as they are included in the compulsory course. All adults and young people know this writer, therefore, a short biography of Mark Twain for grade 5 will be presented here, because at about this time the children get acquainted with his exciting books. Our hero was not only a writer, but also a person with an active lifestyle. His work is very diverse and reflects the life path - the same rich and motley. He wrote in many genres, from satire to philosophical fiction. In each of them he remained faithful to humanism. At the peak of his popularity was considered one of the most prominent Americans. Russian creators spoke very flattering about him: especially Gorky and Kuprin. Twain became famous thanks to his two books - The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Childhood
Mark Twain, whose brief biography is the theme of our article, was born in Missouri in the fall of 1845. After some time, the family changed their place of residence, moving to the city of Hannibal. In his books, he described the inhabitants of this city most often. Soon the head of the family died, and all responsibility passed to the young boys. The older brother went into publishing to somehow provide for his family. Mark Twain (real name - Samuel Langhorn Clemens) tried to contribute, so he worked as a typesetter with his brother, and later as an author of articles. The guy dared to write the most daring and vivid articles only when his older brother Orion left somewhere for a long time.
When the Civil War began, Samuel decided to try himself as a pilot on a ship. He soon returned from sailing and decided to leave the terrible events of the war as far as possible. The future writer often repeated that if it were not for the war, he would devote his whole life to work as a pilot. In 1861 he went west - to where silver is mined. Not feeling the true attraction to the chosen business, he decides to take up journalism. He is taken to work in a newspaper in Virginia, and then Clemens begins to write already under his pseudonym.
Nickname
The real name of our hero is Samuel Clemens. He said that he invented his pseudonym while working as a pilot on a ship, using the terms from river navigation. Literally, it means "mark two." There is another version of the origin of the alias. In 1861, Artemus Ward published a humorous story about three sailors. One of them was called M. Twain. The most interesting thing is that S. Klemenes loved and often publicly read the works of A. Ward.
Success
The biography of Mark Twain (briefly) indicates that in 1860, after the author traveled to Europe, he published a book entitled "Simpletons Abroad." It was she who brought him the first glory, and the literary society of America finally turned her attention to the young author.
Besides writing, what else did Mark Twain live with? A short biography for children will tell you that after almost a decade, the writer falls in love and moves to Hartward with his bride. In the same period of time, he begins to criticize American society in his satirical works and to give lectures in educational institutions.
Mark Twain's biography in English (briefly) tells us that in 1976 the writer publishes the book The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, which in the future will bring him worldwide fame. After 8 years, he writes a second famous work entitled "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." The author’s most popular historical novel is The Prince and the Pauper.
Science and other interests
Does Mark Twain have anything to do with science? A short biography of the writer is simply not possible without mentioning science! He was very interested in new ideas and theories. His good friend was Nikola Tesla, with whom they were engaged in some experiments. It is known that two friends could not leave the laboratory for hours, doing another experiment. In one of his books, the writer used a rich technical description, saturated with the smallest details. This suggests that he was not just familiar with certain terms. In fact, he possessed in-depth knowledge in many areas.
What else was Mark Twain interested in? A short biography will tell you that he was an excellent speaker and often spoke in public. He knew how to literally take breath from the audience and not let it go until the end of his speech. Understanding what influence he can have on people and already having a sufficient number of useful connections, the writer was engaged in finding young talents and helping them to break through and show their talent. Unfortunately, most of the recordings and lectures of his public speeches were simply lost. Some he himself forbade to publish.
Twain was also a freemason. He entered the North Star Lodge in St. Louis in the spring of 1861.
Last years
The most difficult time for the writer was his last years of his life. One gets the feeling that all the troubles decided to fall upon him overnight. In the literary field, a decline in creative forces was observed, and at the same time, the financial situation rapidly deteriorated. After this, he suffered great grief: the wife of Olivia Langdon and three of four children died. Surprisingly, M. Twain still tried not to lose heart and even joked sometimes! The great and talented writer died in the spring of 1910 from angina pectoris.