Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist. He is noted for his novels Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885), called "the Great American Novel", and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876).
Twain grew up in Hannibal, Missouri, which would later provide the setting for Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer. He apprenticed with a printer. He also worked as a typesetter and contributed articles to his older brother Orion's newspaper. After toiling as a printer in various cities, he became a master riverboat pilot on the Mississippi River, before heading west to join Orion. He was a failure at gold mining, so he next turned to journalism. While a reporter, he wrote a humorous story, "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County," which proved to be very popular and brought him nationwide attention. His travelogues were also well-received. Twain had found his calling.
He achieved great success as a writer and public speaker. His wit and satire earned praise from critics and peers, and he was a friend to presidents, artists, industrialists, and European royalty.
However, he lacked financial acumen. Though he made a great deal of money from his writings and lectures, he squandered it on various ventures, in particular the Paige Compositor, and was forced to declare bankruptcy. With the help of Henry Huttleston Rogers, however, he eventually overcame his financial troubles. Twain worked hard to ensure that all of his creditors were paid in full, even though his bankruptcy had relieved him of the legal responsibility.
Born during a visit by Halley's Comet, he died on its return. He was lauded as the "greatest American humorist of his age", and William Faulkner called Twain "the father of American literature".
Excerpted from Wikipedia.
AKA:
Μαρκ Τουαίν (Greek)
“Always do what is right. It will gratify half of mankind and astound the other.”
“The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read.”
“There is no character, howsoever good and fine, but it can be destroyed by ridicule, howsoever poor and witless. Observe the ass, for instance: his character is about perfect, he is the choicest spirit among all the humbler animals, yet see what ridicule has brought him to. Instead of feeling complimented when we are called an ass, we are left in doubt.”
“In a good bookroom you feel in some mysterious way that you are absorbing the wisdom contained in all the books through your skin, without even opening them.”
“′Classic′ - a book which people praise and don't read.”
“If animals could speak, the dog would be a blundering outspoken fellow; but the cat would have the rare grace of never saying a word too much.”
“Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in.”
“I must have a prodigious amount of mind; it takes me as much as a week, sometimes, to make it up!”
“There are many humorous things in the world; among them, the white man's notion that he is less savage than the other savages.”
“Wrinkles should merely indicate where the smiles have been.”
“In the beginning of a change the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot.”
“Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.”
“Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example.”
“I was gratified to be able to answer promptly, and I did. I said I didn’t know.”
“Thunder is good, thunder is impressive; but it is lightning that does the work.”
“A person that started in to carry a cat home by the tail was getting knowledge that was always going to be useful to him, and warn't ever going to grow dim or doubtful.”
“A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.”
“Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone you may still exist, but you have ceased to live.”
“Never tell the truth to people who are not worthy of it.”
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to reform (or pause and reflect).”