"The report of my death was an exaggeration"
The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.
Who told it first?
Earliest known source found
Mark Twain, 1897-06-02
Where: New York Journal, 2 June 1897
The Journal printed it after an English journalist asked whether he was ill or dead; Twain pointed to his cousin James Ross Clemens, who had been seriously ill in London. The better-known "greatly exaggerated" wording traces to Albert Bigelow Paine's 1912 biography, written after Twain died. We did not read the Journal page.
Older versions, rival claims and what came next
- 1863-07-09 older relative Mark Twain (San Francisco Daily Morning Call) - A letter containing an earlier form of the idea, per Quote Investigator via an American Dialect Society post. source
- 1897-06-02 documented New York Journal - Prints Twain's reply. source
- 1912 documented Albert Bigelow Paine (biography) - Gives the embellished "grossly exaggerated" retelling that people remember. source
Sources
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