Harry Houdini biography
Born On This Day
Harry Houdini was born on this day in 1874.
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Quick Facts
- NAME: Harry Houdini
- OCCUPATION: Magician
- BIRTH DATE: March 24, 1874
- DEATH DATE: October 31, 1926
- PLACE OF BIRTH: Budapest, Hungary
- PLACE OF DEATH: Detroit, Michigan
- Full Name: Erich Weisz
- Nickname: Ehrie
- AKA: Harry Houdini
- Nickname: Harry Handcuff Houdini
- AKA: Ehrich Weiss
Best Known For
Harry Houdini's grand illusions and daring, spectacular escape acts made him one of the most famous magicians of all time.Videos see all videos
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Synopsis
Born Erich Weisz on March 24, 1874, in Budapest, Hungary,
young Harry Houdini moved with his family to Appleton, Wisconsin, where
he later claimed he was born. Fascinated with magic, he began performing
and drew attention for his daring feats of escape. In 1893, he married
Wilhelmina Beatrice Rahner, who became his onstage partner as well.
Houdini continued performing escape acts until his death, on October 31,
1926, in Detroit, Michigan.
Quotes
"I am a great admirer of mystery and magic. Look at this life—all mystery and magic."
– Harry Houdini
Early Life
Famed magician/entertainer Harry Houdini was born Erich Weisz on March 24, 1874, in Budapest, Hungary. One of seven children born to a Jewish rabbi and his wife, Erich moved with his family as a child to Appleton, Wisconsin, where he later claimed he was born. When he was 13, Erich moved with his father to New York City, taking on odd jobs and living in a boarding house before the rest of the family joined them. It was there that he became interested in trapeze arts.In 1894, Erich launched his career as a professional magician and renamed himself Harry Houdini, the first name being a derivative of his childhood nickname, "Ehrie," and the last an homage to the great French magician Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin. Though his magic met with little success, he soon drew attention for his feats of escape using handcuffs. In 1893, he married fellow performer Wilhelmina Beatrice Rahner, who would serve as Houdini's lifelong stage assistant.
Commercial Success
In 1899, Houdini's act caught the attention of Martin Beck, an entertainment manager who soon got him booked at some of the best vaudeville venues in the country, followed by a tour of Europe. Houdini's feats would involve the local police, who would strip search him, place him in shackles, and lock him in their jails. The show was a huge sensation, and he soon became the highest-paid performer in American vaudeville.Houdini continued his act in the United States in the early 1900s, constantly upping the ante from handcuffs and straightjackets to locked, water-filled tanks and nailed packing crates. In 1912, his act reached its pinnacle, the Chinese Water Torture Cell, which would be the hallmark of his career. In it, Houdini was suspended by his feet and lowered upside-down in a locked glass cabinet filled with water, requiring him to hold his breath for more than three minutes to escape. The performance was so daring and such a crowd-pleaser that it remained in his act until his death in 1926.
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