Mark Twain Blue Plaque

About This Blue Plaque

Mark Twain, born Samuel Langhorne Clemens, was a renowned American writer, journalist, and humorist. He was born on November 30, 1835, in Florida, Missouri, to John Marshall Clemens and Jane Lampton. Twain grew up in Hannibal, Missouri, which later served as the inspiration for the fictional towns in his novels “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.”

Twain’s writing career began as a typesetter and contributor of articles and humorous sketches for the Hannibal Journal. He later worked as a licensed Mississippi River pilot before heading west to join his brother in Nevada. It was there that he began using the pen name “Mark Twain,” derived from a riverboat term meaning “two fathoms deep.”

During his time in London in 1896-97, Twain resided at 23 Tedworth Square in the Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. This elegant Georgian terraced house served as his home while he toured Europe, giving lectures and working on his travel book “Following the Equator.” Kensington and Chelsea, known for its fashionable neighborhoods and cultural attractions, has been home to many notable writers and artists throughout history.

Twain’s works, characterized by their wit, satire, and keen social commentary, have left an indelible mark on American literature. Some of his most famous books include “The Prince and the Pauper,” “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court,” and “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.” He passed away on April 21, 1910, in Redding, Connecticut, but his legacy lives on through his timeless works that continue to captivate readers worldwide.