Mark Twain, born Samuel Clemens in 1835, was a famous American author best known by his pen name Mark Twain. He had a difficult childhood, losing his father at age 11 and leaving home at 18 to work. Twain went on to marry Olivia Langdon and have several children, though many died young. He achieved great success and popularity as an author by writing novels, short stories, poems, and quotes that have become iconic parts of American literature. Some of his most famous works included The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Twain died in 1910, leaving behind a profound legacy as one of America's greatest authors.