Today (November 30, 2011) would have been Mark Twain’s 176th birthday, had he discovered the fountain of youth that is. Born Samuel Clemens, the author and humorist lived long enough to see the face of the United States change considerably, with immigration on the rise and a shift from an agricultural to a manufacturing economy. His pen name (mark twain) was taken from a familiar cry aboard Mississippi river boats of the time which meant the water was 12 feet deep, enough clearance for a boat.
