Harry Houdini

Born Erik Weisz in Budapest in 1874, Harry Houdini emigrated to the United States as a child and grew up in Wisconsin and New York. He started out in small-time magic acts, then built an international reputation through daring escape performances that made him one of the best-known entertainers of the early 20th century.

Houdini became especially famous for breaking free from handcuffs, prison cells, packing crates, straitjackets, and other restraints, always turning each escape into a public event. He also worked in vaudeville, wrote about magic and spiritualism, and appeared in silent films, showing how carefully he understood publicity as well as performance.

Later in life, he devoted much of his energy to investigating and debunking mediums he believed were exploiting grief for profit. He died in Detroit in 1926, but his name has lasted far beyond his lifetime; even now, “Houdini” remains shorthand for escape artistry, showmanship, and impossible-seeming skill.