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, to 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 the world. When Mark Twain was four years old, his parents decided to move from Florida, Missouri, to Hannibal, Missouri, in hopes that they could improve their living conditions. While living in Hannibal, Samuel developed a strong connection to the Mississippi River. He had always imagined himself being a steamship captain. Although he had always wanted this, his first job was actually as a printer's apprentice. He accepted this job in 1848, a year after his father's death. Once the year 1851 arrived, he began submitting sketches to his brother's journal "Hannibal". Soon he became the newspaper's editor in place of Orion. At the age of twenty-one, Clemens decided that he wanted to start doing something different with his life. Something more exciting and adventurous. So he headed to New Orleans where he was to board a ship for South America. While on this ship he was able to obtain his steamboat pilot's license. He obtained his license by persuading Horace Bixby to train him for a fee of five hundred dollars. He spent two years as a Cub Scout pilot and finally earned his license in 1859. Due to the Civil War that began in 1861, Samuel was not able to live out his dream of becoming a steamboat pilot for very long. The war brought all traffic on the river to a halt. In 1861, Samuel's brother Orion was appointed Secretary of Nevada by President Abraham Lincoln. Once a secretary, he titled Samuel as his... middle of paper ... describing how Mark Twain had a great influence on American literature. Twain's boyhood home is now open as a public museum. in Hannibal, MO. Visitors can also explore Mark Twain's Cave and take a boat ride on the Mississippi River. There's even a lime-painted fence, like the one painted by Tom Sawyer, bordering the property. Additionally, in Calavaras County California, they have a Calavaras County Fair and Jumping Frog Jubilee every third weekend in May. As his birthday approaches, walking tours are also offered to visitors to the places he visited in New York. Mark Twain was considered by far the greatest writer of all time. He had many obstacles to overcome during 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..