Mark Twain was in London in 1897 as part of a speaking tour around the world.
He had considerable debt in the US and hoped to earn enough money to pay it off.
While he was in London, a rumor started that he was seriously ill.
This was followed by a rumor that he was dead.
The story goes that an American newspaper printed Twain's obituary.
Supposedly after that, when asked about all this by a reporter,
Twain said:
The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.
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