Born Erich Weisz, Harry Houdini was an American escape artist, magician, and stunt performer best known for his escape performances.
He lived from March 24, 1874, until October 31, 1926. Robert-Houdin (1805–1871), a French magician, served as his spiritual mentor and is referenced in his pseudonym.
He originally gained notoriety in vaudeville in the United States before touring Europe as “Harry ‘Handcuff’ Houdini,” defying attempts by law enforcement to keep him imprisoned.
A short while later, he added chains, ropes dangling from buildings, straitjackets submerged in water, and needing to break free of and hold his breath inside a water-filled milk can to his repertoire.
What did Harry Houdini do before he died?
Houdini was on a war against spiritualism. He was discrediting Spiritualism, the theory that the living may connect with the dead, and exposing spirit mediums as con artists roughly half the time.
The family resided on Appleton Street in what is now Houdini Plaza as per the 1880 census. Rabbi Weiss obtained his American citizenship on June 6, 1882.
Rabbi Weiss and his family went to Milwaukee when he lost his work at Zion in 1882, where they soon sank into abject poverty.
