2. Mark Twain
Born as Samuel Langhorne Clemens but writing under the pen name Mark Twain, Twain is regarded as the “Father of American Literature” by fellow writer William Faulkner. A known humorist and author Twain is best known for his novels, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Starting his career as an apprentice to a printer, Mark did odd jobs before finally finding his interest, that of writing. He was a great speaker and earned praise and respect for his satire and wit.