Mark Twain (1835 – 1910), born in Florida, Missouri, has achieved fame and a literary following throughout the world for his irreverent humor, realistic depiction of life on the Mississippi River and memorable characters and scenes from mid-19th century America.

His famous novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer comes from his own boyhood experiences in a town on the Mississippi River. Its sequel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is considered to be his masterpiece.