GOOGLE DOODLE CELEBRATES MARK TWAIN'S 176TH BIRTHDAY

As Google celebrates the 176th birthday of the famous author Mark Twain, Google doodle today shows an event from Mark Twain's novel, 'Adventures of Tom Sawyer',  where Tom and his friend Ben whitewash a fence as part of punishment by Aunt Polly. Fourth and fifth alphabet from Google, namely 'g' and 'e', are however missing from the doodle indicating perhaps the paint work is on and will be completed soon.

Mark Twain at the age of 15

Mark Twain with his wife Olivia

Mark Twain was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens on on November 30, 1835, the night Halley's Comet came into view. He died on April 21, 1910 at Redding, Connecticut. Halley's Comet was again in the skies. He had predicted that he would die when it returned.  Mark Twain was a famous American writer and humorist, printer, river boat pilot and journalist, who wrote many popular like 'Tom Sawyer' and ‘Huckleberry Finn’ which earned him great respect.  He was known for his art of storytelling and stage presence. He was married to Olivia for 34 years, after which she died. She gave Twain four children: Jean, Susy, Langdon and Clara Clemens. Their son Langdon died of diphtheria at 19 months. Three died young. Clara, did marry and had a daughter who subsequently died without children, so Mark Twain has no living descendants. His legacy is his writing.

Now for some facts on Mark Twain:

* When Twain went bankrupt in 1894 he went on a speaking tour and became the nation's most popular public speaker.

* Mark Twain had three dogs with weird names; I Know, You Know and Don't Know.

* His book Tom Sawyer was the first book ever written on a typewriter.

* Huck Finn, the fictional character was based on a real person that Twain grew up with, Tom Blankenship, the son of a drunkard in Hannibal Missouri. "He was ignorant, unwashed, insufficiently fed; but he had as good a heart as ever any boy had," Twain wrote of Blankenship in his autobiography. "His liberties were totally unrestricted. He was the only really independent person in the community, and by consequence he was tranquilly and continuously happy and envied by the rest of us.” 

* Twain adopted his pen name in 1863 in Nevada

* Twain was very interested in parapsychology

* He was fond of cats and is rumoured to have had 19 cats doing his childhood days.

* Twain was a successful lecturer, generating money and fame via speaking tours throughout the United States and Europe.

* Twain suffered from colour blindness
* He enjoyed playing billiards.

* Mark Twain once said, 'My books are like water; those of the great geniuses are wine. (Fortunately) everybody drinks water."

Mark Twain's house in Hartford, Connecticut. Visitors get to experience the magic of Mark Twain books, and his life,  by touring the museum and house and learning more the many books that he wrote while lived in the house from 1871 to 1891.

Mahogany bedroom

Library

Conservatory at Mark Twain's home

Billiards room