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