Mark Twain & The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Twain visits Calavaras County in northern California. This inspires his short story, "Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog"

The New York Saturday Press raises Twain's writing profile by publishing his short story, "Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog" (later renamed "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calavaras County")

Gives his first public lecture. It is widely liked.
He is also a reporter for a San Francisco newspaper (the Alta California) during this time.

The Innocents Abroad (Twain's first book) is a bestseller!

Olivia Langdon becomes Twain's wife and later in the year their son, Langdon, is born.

Twain and family move to Hartford, Connecticut. He publishes Roughing It (a memoir of his years in Nevada).
The couple gives birth to their daughter, Susy.
Their son, Langdon dies of diphtheria (he is 19 months old).

The Gilded Age is published. It is a satiric novel. The name of the novel is a term that Twain coined himself for the post-civil war era.

Clara Clemens is born. Sadly she will be the only child that Twain has that will outlive him.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is published!

The fourth and final child, a daughter named Jean, is born

Life on the Mississippi, a memoir of Twain's life as a steamboat pilot, is published.

In partnership with co-owner Charles L. Webster, Twain founds Charles L. Webster & Co., his own publishing company. It will eventually lead the family into financial ruin.

Twain publishes his greatest non-fiction work, the Biography of President Ulysses S. Grant.

Twain publishes his most successful fiction work, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Critics hate Twain's newly published book, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.

Due to poor financial decisions, Twain moves his family to Europe where they can live for less money.

Twain publishes his last novel, Pudd'nhead Wilson.
Twain's publishing company (along with Twain himself) goes bankrupt after 10 years.

In an attempt to payback his creditors, Twain hits the road for a worldwide lecture tour.

Susy Clemens (the oldest daughter to whom Twain was very close) dies at the age of 24 from meningitis. Twain is still on tour when she dies and he never recovers from her death. This event ends the successful part of Twain's writing career.

Twain's wife dies after battling an illness for two years.
Twain moves to NYC & begins to write his autobiography.

Jean, Twain's youngest daughter, is institutionalized due to severe epilepsy.

Jean Clemens, Twain's youngest daughter, dies.

At the age of 74, Mark Twain dies in his home in Redding, Connecticut.