HARRY HOUDINI
Arts
Born: April 6, 1874
Appleton, Wisconsin
Died: October 31, 1926

"This is to certify that Mr. Harry Houdini, at the United States Jail today, was stripped stark naked, thoroughly searched, and locked up in Cell No. 2 . . . Mr. Houdini, in about two minutes, managed to escape from the cell." J.H. Harris, Warden, U.S. Jail

Harry Houdini was one of the most famous magicians, illusionists, and the most famous escape artist in the world. He was born as Ehrich Weisz (American immigration officials changed Weisz to Weiss) in Budapest, Hungary on March 24, 1874. He was the third of five children.

Houdini began to work at an early age. When he was eight years old, he sold newspapers and worked as a bootblack. His father took him to see Dr. Lynn, a traveling magician and his interest in performing soon took over. October 28, 1883, was the date of his first appearance before an audience. He appeared as a contortionist and trapeze performer, as "Ehrich, The Prince of the Air."

He turned to magic and took on the stage name Harry Houdini after the 19th century French magician Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin. He became world famed for escapes from bonds and in his crusade against and exposure of fraudulent mediums

On October 22, 1926, while in a dressing room at the Princess Theater in Montreal with several students from McGill University, he was asked if he could actually withstand a punch to the stomach thrown by any man. This is something he would routinely do, but before he could prepare himself by tightening my stomach muscles, a fellow hit him three times. He didnÕt know it at the time, but his appendix had burst. After doing several shows at the Garrick Theatre in Detroit he soon became ill. Nine days later in room 401 of Detroit's old Grace Hospital, Houdini died from peritonitis, which is inflammation of the lining of the torso. He had died on October 31st, -- Halloween.

For ten years after his death, Houdini's wife Bess held a yearly seance on Halloween in order to try and contact me in the after-life. He had actually worked out a secret code before dying to see if he could indeed make contact when the time actually came. Bess never heard from him. To this day people still hold sˇances in an attempt to contact Harry Houdini.