by Christine O'Callaghan

Created on: July 25, 2008   Last Updated: August 03, 2011

At some point in our education, we all learn that Mark Twain was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens in 1835. And most of us discover that the reputedly eccentric writer was prolific: in addition to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer he wrote countless other novels, short stories, speeches, essays and articles. Some of us even know that both his birth and death were tied to appearances of Halley's Comet.

But did you know these other interesting facts about Mark Twain?

-"The father of American literature" left school at the age of 12 when his father died, and began work as a printer's apprentice.

-Twain was an aspiring inventor. Although he lost a good deal of the money he earned writing on his inventions, three were patented: a self-adjusting vest strap, a history game aimed at improving memory, and a self-pasting scrapbook (developed to make his own memory-keeping easier). Only the scrapbook made money.

-His publishing house made money selling the memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant, but failed shortly thereafter when his Life of the Pope bombed.

-In between stints as a river pilot in Missouri and a miner in Nevada, Twain formed the Marion Rangers, a Civil War Confederate militia that disbanded after only two weeks.

-His description of Anne Sullivan, Helen Keller's teacher, as a "miracle worker" is credited with inspiring the title of the later play and film adaptation.

-Twain sometimes wrote under other pen names, including Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass, Rambler, Sergeant Fathom, and W. Epaminondas Adrastus Blab.

-Although he never officially changed his name, he did trademark the name "Mark Twain".

-He was among the first American authors to use the typewriter.

-Mark Twain's house in Hartford, Connecticut (now part of the Mark Twain Museum complex there) was across a lawn from Harriet Beecher Stowe's house.

-In 1907, Twain received an honorary doctorate from Oxford University.

-His love of children and games and his child-like exuberance led his wife to nickname him "Youth".

-In later years, Twain entertained the "Angelfish Club" (a group of young daughters of his friends).

-Twain was a real cat lover. On summer vacation in New Hampshire, he rented kittens from a nearby farm for the duration of his stay.

These are just a few of the gems you might unearth about one of America's most popular authors. There are many more to be gleaned with a little research. As the man himself once said:

"If there wasn't anything to find out, it would be dull. Even trying to find out and not finding out is just as interesting as trying to find out and finding out; and I don't know but more so."

Sources: PBS
Esquire

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