Samuel Langhorne Clemens was born on November 30th in 1835 at Florida, Missouri and grew up along the Mississippi River. He started setting type in a newspaper shop at age 12, abandoned his writing career at 21 to become a river boat pilot, a career that ended four years later when the Civil War ended river traffic. He went west, writing for newspapers in Nevada and California. Fortunately for us, he made a series of bad investments that forced him to write a staggering amount under the name of Mark Twain. "Mark Twain" was the sounding call of the leadsman on a riverboat, indicating two fathoms (twelve feet) of water, a safe depth for the riverboats. Today's Quotes: All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure. Always acknowledge a fault quite frankly. This will throw those in authority off their guard and give you an opportunity to commit more. Do the right thing. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest. Get your facts first and then you can distort them as much as you wish. If you tell the truth you don't have anything to remember. Irreverence is the champion of liberty and its one sure defense. It is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not deserve them. - All from Mark Twain, 1835 - 1910 |
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