How It All Went Down
Mark Twain Born
Samuel Langhorne Clemens is born in Florida, Missouri, the sixth child of John Marshall and Jane Lampton Clemens.
Family Moves to Hannibal
The Clemens family moves to Hannibal, Missouri, a riverbank town that is a frequent stop for steamboats traveling the Mississippi. Young Samuel reveres the riverboat pilots and hopes to become one himself.
Death of Twain's Father
Samuel's father John Clemens dies, forcing the family into financial hardship.
Twain Takes Work as Printer
At the age of 15, Samuel leaves school and goes to work as a printer in Hannibal.
Apprentice River Pilot
Samuel Clemens begins a successful two-year apprenticeship to become a licensed river pilot. He learns the lingo of the trade, including "mark twain," a phrase that refers to the river depth at which a boat is safe to navigate. He soon adopts it as his pen name.
Death of Twain's Brother
Twain's youngest brother, Henry, is killed tragically at the age of 20 in an explosion on the steamboat Pennsylvania. Henry had been training to become a steamboat pilot, at Twain's encouragement. The devastated Twain feels responsible for Henry's death the rest of his life.
Civil War
The Civil War breaks out. Trade along the Mississippi River is halted, forcing an end to Twain's steamboat career. Twain spends two weeks training in a volunteer Confederate militia before it disbands.
Twain Travels West
In an adventure later chronicled in the book Roughing It, Twain travels to Nevada with his brother Orion, who had been named the secretary to the territorial governor. He tries his hand at mining and other schemes before becoming a reporter for the Virginia City (Nev.) Daily Territorial Enterprise.
Twain in California
Twain travels to northern California, visiting Calavaras County before settling in San Francisco.
"Jumping Frog" Published
The short story "Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog" (later "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calavaras County") appears in the New York Saturday Press. The story proves extremely popular and raises Twain's profile as a writer.
Twain Begins Lecturing
Twain travels to Hawaii as a reporter for San Francisco's Alta California newspaper. When he returns to the mainland a few months later, he gives his first public lecture. It's a hit.
Twain Meets Future Wife
Twain is introduced to Olivia "Livy" Langdon, the sister of a friend. He is instantly smitten.
The Innocents Abroad Published
Mark Twain's first book, The Innocents Abroad, becomes a bestseller.
Twain Weds, Fathers First Child
Twain marries Olivia Langdon, who becomes an important editor of his work. Their son Langdon is born later that year.
Twain in Connecticut
Twain moves his family to Hartford, Connecticut. He publishes Roughing It, the memoir of his years in the West. The year is one of tragedy and joy—the couple's daughter Susy is born, but their son Langdon dies of diphtheria.
Twain Publishes The Gilded Age
Twain publishes the satiric novel The Gilded Age, its title giving a name to an entire era of American history. His most successful invention, the self-pasting scrapbook, makes its debut the same year.
Clara Clemens Born
Daughter Clara is born, the only one of Twain's children to outlive her father.
Jean Clemens Born
Livy Clemens gives birth to the couple's fourth and final child, a daughter named Jean.
Life on the Mississippi
Twain publishes Life on the Mississippi, his memoir of his years as a steamboat pilot.
Twain Founds Publishing Company
Twain founds his own publishing company, Charles L. Webster & Co. (named after his nephew and co-owner Charles L. Webster). It turns out to be a bad financial move—the company's struggles will eventually ruin his family's finances.
Huck Finn
In the span of less than a year, Twain publishes both his greatest fiction and non-fiction works: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and a biography of President Ulysses S. Grant.
Connecticut Yankee
Twain publishes A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. Critics slam the book.
Twain in Europe
His finances in shambles following a series of poor business decisions, Twain moves his family from Hartford to Europe for cheaper living.
Twain's Last Novel
Pudd'nhead Wilson, Twain's last novel, is published. After ten difficult years, Twain's publishing house, Charles L. Webster & Co., finally goes belly-up. The writer finds himself essentially bankrupt. Close friend Henry Huttleston Rogers takes over his finances, saving him from complete disaster.
Lecture Tour
Twain hits the road for a worldwide lecture tour in order to pay back his creditors.
Death of Susy Clemens
Twain's 24-year-old daughter Susy dies of meningitis in the U.S. while Twain is lecturing in Europe. Twain, who was particularly close to his oldest daughter, is devastated. He never fully recovers from her death, which marks the end of his most successful period as a writer.
Death of Livy Clemens
Twain's wife Livy dies after a serious two-year illness. Following his wife's death, Twain moves to New York City and begins writing his autobiography.
Family Troubles
Twain's youngest daughter Jean is institutionalized due to severe epilepsy. Twain's biographer, Albert Bigelow Paine, moves in with Twain to collect material.
Angelfish Club
Twain moves into a house in Connecticut that he names Stormfield. Lonely and missing his wife and daughters, he forms a club of young girls called the Angelfish Club who meet regularly at his house to play cards.
Death of Jean Clemens
Twain's youngest daughter, Jean Clemens, dies.
Death of Mark Twain
Mark Twain dies at the age of 74 at his home in Redding, Connecticut.