Harry Houdini

Okay, the Reason I have this Page on here is not only because Harry Houdini was one of the greatest magicians, but I think Criss Angel once said that Houdini inspired him. (I Love Criss Angel!!!)

This globely known magician was born on March 24, 1874 in Budapest. Harry Houdini came to the United States when he was 4 years old. Still, to this day, people actually claim the small town of Appleton Wisconsin to be Houdinis birth-place to attract tourists. Houdinis father, Mayer Samuel Weiss, was a rabbi for German Zoin Jewish Congregation. His mother was Cecilia Steiner Weiss. Both of his parents only spoke Yiddish, Hungarian and German.
Harry Houdini, Whose original name is Ehrich, started working at an early age. He worked as a shoe-shine boy and sold newspapers at the age of eight. He moved out at the age of 12 in attempt to help support his family. He traveled across the country and he always sent money home to his family and eventually met up with his father in New York City and his father died 5 years later.

Harry was introduced to the world of magic around then. He was and excellent athlete and won awards for swimming. He would later use those skills as and escape artist.

Houdini began calling himself Eric the Great when he first began performing magic as a teenager. His first shows consisted of small, simple magic tricks and card tricks. He later called himself The King of Cards Soon after that he began experimenting with handcuffs and using them in his acts. He began offering rewards to whoever could successfully restrain him. It wasnt easy. Houdini could escape from handcuffs, leg irons, straightjackets, jails and prison cells, a mail pouch, packing crates, a giant paper bag (without tearing the paper), and many other things. He introduced the now-famous Water Torture Cell in 1913.