Houdini, << hoo DEE nee, >> Harry (1874-1926), was an American magician who won fame throughout the world as an escape artist (see Magician ). Houdini could quickly free himself from apparently escapeproof devices, including leg irons, 10 pairs of handcuffs, jail cells, and nailed crates. His most sensational feat consisted of escaping from an airtight tank that was filled with water.
Houdini performed many publicity stunts to stimulate interest in his act. For example, he let himself be tied in a straitjacket and hung upside down from the eaves of a tall building. He struggled free in a few minutes. Houdini also became known for criticizing spiritualist mediums, who claimed they could communicate with the spirits of the dead. He believed that mediums deceived the public, and he copied their feats to show they were frauds. Houdini starred in several motion pictures.
Houdini was born on March 24, 1874, in Budapest, Hungary. His family moved to Appleton, Wisconsin, when he was a child. He later claimed he was born in Appleton. Houdini’s given and family name was Ehrich Weiss. He took his stage name from Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin, a French magician of the 1800’s. He later made it his legal name.
Houdini began his career performing card tricks in a dime museum. Dime museums were popular places of entertainment for working-class people in the late 1800’s. By 1900, after developing his escape act, he became a headliner and starred in many leading theaters throughout the world. Houdini’s show featured magic tricks, escapes, and demonstrations exposing what he regarded as spiritualist fraud. Houdini died on Halloween, Oct. 31, 1926.
