The quote "history doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme" is attributed to Mark Twain, but I've never seen it attributed to one of his published works. Did he ever use it in an article, letter, or book? Or was it a just a quip he supposedly said at parties?
1 Answer
Quote Investigator says that Twain did not originate the saying.
In conclusion, the earliest match for this popular quotation appeared in an essay by Theodor Reik in 1965. Currently, he is the leading candidate for coiner of the saying. The earliest attribution to Mark Twain appeared in 1970, but that date is many decades after his death. Hence, there is no substantive support for the Twain ascription. Precursors mentioning history and rhyme were published before 1965, but the statements were not compact and witty.
