1. Mark Twain Twain is on nearly everyone's list of all-time great American authors. His humorous tales of human nature, especially The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and Huckleberry Finn (1885), remain standard texts in high school and college literature classes.

2. Mark Twain In his own day Twain was a famous figure and a celebrated public speaker who toured widely. Other Twain classics include The Innocents Abroad (1869), Life on the Mississippi (1883) and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1889).

3. Mark Twain Born: 30 November 1835 Birthplace: Florida, Missouri Death: 21 April 1910 (heart failure) Best Known As : The author of Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn