Legend has it that Harry Houdini died on Halloween in 1926, after an overeager fan punched him in the gut and caused his appendix to rupture. But the two events may not have been linked.
Harry Houdini defied the impossible throughout a mystifying career that still makes him a household name today. From swallowing needles a score at a time to pulling himself out of a whale carcass, to his famous “Chinese Water Torture Cell” escapes, Houdini dazzled millions with his stunts.
It seemed that death could never claim the famous magician. Harry Houdini’s death did come on Halloween, 1926 leaving behind mystery and speculation that has fascinated people ever since.
Harry Houdini’s Death-Defying Career
Harry Houdini was born on March 24, 1874 as Erik Weisz in Budapest, Hungary and immigrated to the United States in 1878. Weisz started his career with stunts early, performing trapeze at age nine before beginning a Vaudeville career in magic in 1891. He changed his name to Harry Houdini in honor of the famous French magician, Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin.
