Houdini performed some of the riskiest stunts in the world, including the one that eventually took his life.
Harry Houdini is one of the most famous figures in the world of illusion. While most people wouldn’t see illusion as a sport–and certainly not when Houdini lived–today we might interpret it as a form of extreme sports. But no matter how you define it, what Houdini did was nothing short of incredible.
Houdini, born in Hungary in 1874 with the name Erik Weisz, moved with his family to America at the age of three. At the young age of nine, Houdini made his performance debut using his given name as a circus trapeze artist. Later, he cultivated a magic act and changed his stage name to ‘Houdini’ in honor of the French magician, Houdin.
But performing magic didn’t lead to acclaim, so Houdini focused on perfecting an escape act. In one performance, he was handcuffed, fitted into a straight jacket, and hung by a crane–from which he would escape.
He also perfected what he called “The Chinese Water Torture Cell,” which became one of his most famous acts.
Houdini also performed as a film actor. He starred in The Houdini Serial, The Grim Game, and The Man From Beyond, among others.
In 1926, Houdini died as a result of his fame. Boasting that he could withstand any punch to the stomach, a college student took up the challenge. That hit, combined with an oncoming case of appendicitis, did in Houdini. He passed away at the age of 52.
Houdini performed some of the riskiest stunts in the world, including the one that eventually took his life. An illusionist par excellence, his name lives on nearly a century after his death.
