Erich Weiss, later known as the great American escape artist and magician Houdini, was born on March 24, 1874, in Budapest, Hungary, though he often claimed to have been born in Appleton, Wisconsin, where he was raised. He was the fourth of six children born to Rabbi Samuel Weiss and his wife Cecilia.
As a young boy, Houdini was fascinated with magic and was deeply inspired by a magic show he attended, featuring Dr. Lynch. He began performing magic tricks with his friend Jack Hayman, and they billed themselves as the "Houdini Bros." in tribute to French magician Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin.
Houdini's early career was marked by struggles, but he eventually developed his signature act, the Crate Escape, also known as Metamorphosis or The Substitution Trunk. He married Wilhelmina Rahner, known as Bess, in 1894, despite her being a Roman Catholic and his Jewish family's disapproval.
Throughout his career, Houdini was known for his daring escapes, including escaping from straitjackets, handcuffs, and even being buried alive. He also became famous for debunking mediums and paranormal experts, hoping to find an actual medium who could communicate with the dead.
Houdini's death on October 31, 1926, was officially attributed to peritonitis from a ruptured appendix, but it is believed that the punch he received from a McGill University student during a Canadian tour may have contributed to his death. His wife Bess collected a double indemnity on his life insurance policy and held annual séances on Halloween to try to contact her husband.
