Thursday, March 23, 2006

24 March 1874: Happy Birthday, Harry Houdini

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Harry Houdini became world-renowned for his stunts and feats of
escapology even more so than his magical illusions.

Image source: Wikipedia

Via Wikipedia.

Harry Houdini (born Ehrich Weiss; March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926) was one of the most famous magicians, escapologists, and stunt performers of all time as well as an investigator of spiritualists. He legally changed his name to "Harry Houdini" in 1913.

Houdini was born on March 24, 1874 in Budapest, Hungary, to Jewish parents: his father was Rabbi Mayer Samuel Weiss (?-1892) and his mother was Cecilia Steiner (?-1913). In 1878, his family moved to the United States, where he spelled his name as Erich Weiss. At first, they lived in Appleton, Wisconsin, where his father served as rabbi of the Zion Reform Jewish Congregation. On June 6, 1882, Rabbi Weiss became a United States citizen, then after losing his tenure, Mayer moved to New York City with Ehrich in 1887, where they lived in a boarding-house on East Seventy-ninth Street. Mayer later was joined by the rest of the family once he found more permanent housing.

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