Harry Houdini Accomplishments

Have you ever wondered how magic tricks are performed? Imagine you are taking a walk and you see a crowd full of people hollering at a man who is chained to his handcuffs, ready to jump off a bridge. In 1907, escape master and magician, Erich Weisz, also known as Harry Houdini, managed to jump into the lake and unshackle himself from his handcuffs without drowning. Harry Houdini, who labeled himself the king of handcuffs, influenced society today with his amazing stunts. Harry Houdini's early struggles with poverty led to his talented, magic abilities which successfully impacted society. Erich Weisz was born in Budapest, Hungary on March 24, 1874. He moved to Appleton, Wisconsin when he was four years old and claimed he was born there. He was

After his father’s death, Houdini and his mom became inseparable. He became interested in trapeze arts at the age of nine and his first magic trick was to vanish a coin. He wanted to focus more on lockpicking and financed into working as a necktie cutter. According to the Dictionary of American Biography, “By his expert knowledge of mechanics and his ability to invent the most intricate devices, he was able to extricate himself from handcuffs, safes, and locked and sealed containers of all kinds." Harry Houdini. His favorite magician, and also in his words, “The Great Magician of All Time,” is Robert Houdin, a nineteenth-century French magician. Robert Houdin was one of Erich Weisz’s biggest inspirations, attributed to his wish to become a magician. Regardless of Weisz’s rough childhood and poverty-stricken life, he stayed diligent and showed the world his significant talent. “Harry” is an Americanized version of Erich. Houdini started with effortless acts on the beach boardwalks and streets. He did his famous Hindoo needle trick, where he would swallow a thread full of needles and string them out of his mouth painlessly. It attracted many people’s attention and was a

After that, he became prominent and was a household name. In the book, Escape! The Story of The Great Houdini states, "The story was rushed to the city's press. Embracing Bess later, he shouted, "Success!" Success! The. "(Sid Fleischman) " He started doing world tours with his wife, Bess Houdini, who also helped him succeed. He would get the crowd filled with anticipation and anxiety with his dangerous escape tricks, but never failed to surprise them. Many people accused Houdini of faking his magic and blatantly told him he was not the handcuff king, but he always proved them inaccurate. He attracted many notable icons such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes. Houdini later started to write books on his magic tricks and sell them. He wanted to help other kids who wanted to become magicians one day. Houdini didn’t receive any awards in his lifetime, but later received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1975. Many films and movies were made about Houdini’s life and career today. People try to contact Houdini’s spirits by doing rituals every year. A lot of Houdini’s props and effects were held and sold at many