Historical1835
Mark Twain Born
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, known as Mark Twain, was born in Florida, Missouri. His works, particularly "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," challenged racial prejudice and social hypocrisy and are considered foundational American literature.
Why It Matters
Twain used satire and storytelling to hold American society accountable to its professed ideals of equality and justice, demonstrating literature's role in civic discourse.