The exact words
The 1897 rumor
In the spring of 1897 Mark Twain was living in London, writing a travel book and trying to pay off debts after a business collapse. His cousin James Ross Clemens, also in London, fell seriously ill, and the news crossed the Atlantic in confused form. American papers began reporting that it was Mark Twain who was ill, and some rumors had him dying or already dead.
A reporter named Frank Marshall White, working for the New York Journal, was sent to find out. Twain received him and wrote out a short statement explaining the mix-up. It ended with the line that made the story famous: “The report of my death was an exaggeration.” The Journal printed it on June 2, 1897.
How the words changed
Twain’s original is dry and understated, which is what makes it funny. Over the following decades people retold it with more punch, adding “greatly,” switching to the plural “reports,” and moving it into the present tense. By the time Twain actually died in 1910, the polished version was the one in obituaries, and it has stayed that way. Unlike many lines on this site, though, the joke really is Twain’s; only the wording drifted.
How to use it
The line is a perfect opener for any moment when someone is assumed to be finished: a retirement, a comeback, a company written off by the press. Quoting the real words gives you a small extra laugh, since the deadpan original is funnier than the familiar version. In writing, use the 1897 wording and date if accuracy matters.
What people get wrong
Twain said, “Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.”
He wrote, “The report of my death was an exaggeration.” The famous version is a later polish, and the joke is his.
Timeline
- May 1897Twain's cousin James Ross Clemens falls seriously ill in London, and rumors spread in the American press that Twain himself is ill, dying or dead.
- June 2, 1897A reporter for the New York Journal finds Twain in London. Twain writes out a short statement, ending, “The report of my death was an exaggeration.”
- Early 1900sRetellings add “greatly” and change the sentence to “Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.”
- 1910Twain dies, and obituaries widely repeat the joke.
Use it in a speech
Questions people ask
What did Mark Twain actually say about his death?
In a 1897 statement to a New York Journal reporter in London, he wrote, “The report of my death was an exaggeration.”
Why did people think Twain was dead?
His cousin James Ross Clemens was seriously ill in London, and the news got confused in American papers into reports that Twain himself was dying.
Is the popular version wrong?
It is a paraphrase. The joke and the idea are Twain's, but the words “greatly” and “are” were added later.
Cite this quote
These cite the original source directly, so you can use them in an essay or paper. Always check your teacher's required style.
Sources
- Frank Marshall White, report from London, New York Journal, June 2, 1897.
- Mark Twain Project, University of California, Berkeley.