'Inside the Icons.' Liberty: The Stories Never Die. 'Harry Houdini' Encyclopedia of World Biography. To this day, folks still can’t figure out how he done it.Ĭox, John. Accepting the challenge, Houdini dramatically escaped from the handcuffs in just 90 consecutive minutes. It was to escape a pair of impossible handcuffs that apparently took a Birmingham locksmith seven years to make. The Memoirs of Robert Houdin would be the book that made Houdini fall in love with t. It was at this time period in which Harry discovered the art of magic. It is said that Houdini had even tried out for a US Olympic Team for various aptitudes he possessed. He began competing in local sporting events, and even became a member of the Pastime Athletics Club. Getting a job as tie-cutter, Harry attended every theater performance that his salary would allow him. Harry soon became intrigued by British circus performers, and was starting to take interest in acrobatics and athletics. It was in this town that Ehrich started to be nicknamed ‘Ehrie’, which later became Harry.Īfter just over 4 years of living in Appleton, the family moved to Milwaukee, where they were rather poor due to Harry’s father losing his job. Later, Houdini always claimed this town was his actual birthplace, but folks new that was merely false. He was able to break free from them in an hour. Once a blacksmith in England spent five years creating a pair of inescapable handcuffs and asked Houdini to try them. He was most famous for escaping from handcuffs and locked trunk s. When Ehrich was just four years old, his family and he moved to the United States, potentially settling down in Appleton, Wisconsin. Seven years later, he changed his name to Harry Houdini and became a professional magician. They were a well-off family, who never had to worry. Ehrich was the brother of seven other siblings. His parents were Cecilia Steiner and Mayer Samuel Weiss, a substantial lawyer. Today, he is known well across the globe, for his many feats of the impossible and overwhelming.Įhrich Weiss, later named Harry Houdini, was born in Budapest, Hungary on March 24th, 1874. Houdini was a fascinating character, always pushing the boundary between life and death. His life was home to countless events, many in which made history, in the eyes of citizens of the world. Harry Houdini is considered the most influential, and notable magician in the art of magic and escapology.

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