Mark Twain was born as Samuel Langhorne Clemens on November 30, 1835 in the small town of Florida, Missouri. Samuel was born into a family of six children, with parents John Marshall and Jane Clemens. Little did his parents know that they were about to raise one of the most famous writers ever known to this world. At the age of four, Mark Twain's parents decided to move from Florida, Missouri, to Hannibal, Missouri, in the hopes of improving their living conditions. While living in Hannibal, Samuel developed a very strong connection to the Mississippi River. He had always imagined himself as the captain of a steamboat. Although he had always wanted it, his first job was actually as a printer's apprentice. He took up this job in 1848, a year after his father's death. Once he reached 1851, he began sending sketches to his brother "Hannibal's" diary. He soon became the magazine's editor in place of Orion. At the age of twenty-one, Clemens decided he wanted to start doing something different with his life. Something more exciting and adventurous... So he headed to New Orleans where he was supposed to board a ship to South America. While on this ship he managed to obtain a steamboat pilot's license. He obtained the license by convincing Horace Bixby to train him for a fee of five hundred dollars. He spent two years as a puppy pilot and finally earned his license in 1859. Due to the Civil War that began in 1861, Samuel was unable to live out his dream of becoming a steamboat pilot for long. The war caused all traffic on the river to be blocked. In 1861, Samuel's brother Orion was appointed secretary of Nevada by President Abraham Lincoln. Once he was secretary, he titled Samuel as his... medium of paper... writing about the great influence Mark Twain had on American literature. Twain's childhood home is now open as a public museum. in Hannibal, Missouri. Visitors can also explore Mark Twain's Cave and take a boat ride along the Mississippi River. There is also a white-painted fence, like the one painted by Tom Sawyer, that borders the property. Additionally, in Calavaras County California, a Calavaras County Fair and Jumping Frog Jubilee is held every third weekend in May. Whenever it is close to his birthday, walking tours of the places he visited in New York City are also offered. Mark Twain was considered by far the greatest writer of all time. He had many obstacles to overcome in his life. Many deaths and many large debts, but he overcame them and was eventually heralded as one of the best writers of all time..