Harry Houdini (real name Eric Weiss; 1874-1926) is an American illusionist, philanthropist and actor. He became famous for exposing charlatans and complex tricks with escapes and releases.
There are many interesting facts in Houdini's biography, which we will talk about in this article.
So, here is a short biography of Harry Houdini.
Houdini's biography
Eric Weiss (Harry Houdini) was born on March 24, 1874 in Budapest (Austria-Hungary). He was raised and raised in the devout Jewish family of Meer Samuel Weiss and Cecilia Steiner. In addition to Eric, his parents had six more daughters and sons.
Childhood and youth
When the future illusionist was about 4 years old, he and his parents emigrated to America, settling in Appleton (Wisconsin). Here the head of the family was promoted to rabbi of the Reform synagogue.
Even as a child, Houdini was fond of magic tricks, often attending the circus and other similar events. Once the troupe of Jack Hefler visited their town, as a result of which the friends persuaded the boy to show him their skills.
Jack looked curiously at Harry's numbers, but his real interest appeared after he saw a trick invented by a child. Hanging upside down, Houdini collected the needles on the floor using his eyebrows and eyelids. Hefler praised the little magician and wished him well.
When Harry was 13 years old, he and his family moved to New York. Here he showed card tricks in entertainment establishments, and also came up with numbers using various objects.
Soon Houdini and his brother began performing at fairs and small shows. Every year their program became more and more complex and interesting. The young man noticed that the audience especially liked the numbers in which the artists were freed from fetters and locks.
To better understand the construction of locks, Harry Houdini got a job as an apprentice in a locksmith's shop. When he managed to make a master key from a piece of wire that unlocked the locks, he realized that in the workshop he would learn nothing more.
Curiously, Harry not only honed his skills in technical terms, but also paid great attention to physical strength. He did physical exercises, developed joint flexibility and trained to hold his breath for as long as possible.
Magic tricks
When the illusionist turned 16 years old, he came across "Memoirs of Robert Goodin, Ambassador, Writer and Magician, Written by Himself." After reading the book, the young man decided to take a pseudonym in honor of its author. At the same time, he took the name "Harry" into honor of the famous magician Harry Kellar.
Experiencing financial difficulties, the guy came to one of the newspapers, where he promised to reveal the secret of any issue for $ 20. However, the editor stated that he did not need such services. The same thing happened in other publications.
As a result, Houdini came to the conclusion that journalists do not need explanations of tricks, but sensations. He began to demonstrate various "supernatural" acts: freeing himself from straitjackets, walking through a brick wall, and also emerging from the bottom of a river after being thrown into it, shackled with a 30-kilogram ball.
After gaining great popularity, Harry went on a tour of Europe. In 1900, he astonished the audience with the Disappearance of the Elephant trick, in which the veiled animal disappeared as soon as the cloth was torn from it. In addition, he demonstrated many tricks for liberation.
Houdini was tied with ropes, handcuffed and locked in boxes, but each time he somehow miraculously managed to escape. He also escaped from real prison cells on several occasions.
For example, in 1908 in Russia, Harry Houdini demonstrated self-release from death row in Butyrka Prison and Peter and Paul Fortress. He showed similar numbers in American prisons.
As Houdini grew older, it became increasingly difficult to imagine his fantastic tricks, which is why he often ended up in hospitals. In 1910 he showed a new number for the release from the muzzle of the cannon seconds before the volley.
During this time biography Harry Houdini became interested in aviation. This led him to buy a biplane. An interesting fact is that the illusionist was the first to fly the 1st flight over Australia in history.
At the height of his popularity, Houdini knew many celebrities, including US President Theodore Roosevelt. The fear of ending his life in poverty, as happened with his father, haunted him everywhere.
In this regard, Harry considered every penny, but he was not stingy. On the contrary, he donated large sums to buy books and paintings, helped the elderly, gave alms to the beggars in gold, and participated in charity concerts.
In the summer of 1923 Harry Houdini was ordained a Freemason, becoming a Master Freemason the same year. He was seriously worried that under the influence of the then popular spiritualism, many magicians began to disguise their numbers with the appearance of communicating with spirits.
In this regard, Houdini often attended seances incognito, exposing charlatans.
Personal life
The man was married to a girl named Bess. This marriage turned out to be very strong. It is curious that throughout their life together, the spouses referred to each other as "Mrs. Houdini" and "Mr. Houdini."
And yet there were occasional disagreements between husband and wife. It is worth noting that Bess professed a different religion, which sometimes led to family conflicts. To save the marriage, Houdini and his wife began to adhere to a simple rule - to avoid quarrels.
When the situation escalated, Harry raised his right eyebrow three times. This signal meant that the woman should immediately shut up. When both calmed down, they resolved the conflict in a calm atmosphere.
Bess also had a gesture of her own about her angry state. Seeing him, Houdini had to leave the house and walk around him 4 times. After that, he threw the hat into the house, and if his wife did not throw it back, this spoke of a truce.
Death
Houdini's repertoire included the Iron Press, during which he demonstrated the strength of his press that could withstand any blows. Once, three students came into his dressing room, wanting to know if he could really bear any blows.
Harry, lost in thought, nodded. Immediately one of the students, a college boxing champion, hit him hard in the stomach 2 or 3 times. The magician immediately stopped the guy saying that for this he should prepare.
After that, the boxer struck a couple more punches, which Houdini sustained as always. However, the first blows were fatal for him. They led to the rupture of the appendix, which led to peritonitis. After that, the man lived for several more days, although doctors predicted a quick death.
The great Harry Houdini died on October 31, 1926 at the age of 52. It is worth noting that the student who struck the blows did not bear any responsibility for their actions.
Houdini Photos
