Harry Houdini timeline

Harry Houdini Is Born

Harry Houdini was born in Budapest, Hungary, to a Jewish family. A copy of his birth certificate was found and published in The Houdini Birth... Read more

Weiss Family Moves to Appleton, Wisconsin

At first, the Weiss family lived in Appleton, Wisconsin, where Ehrich's father served as Rabbi of the Zion Reform Jewish Congregation. In 1880, the... Read more

Houdini Meets Wilhelmina Beatrice Rahner

When Houdini met Wilhelmina Beatrice Rahner in 1894, she was performing as one of the Floral Sisters at the Sea Beach Palace in West Brighton... Read more

Harry Houdini Gets Married

Legendary magician and escape artist Harry Houdini married Wilhelmina Beatrice Rahner on June 22, 1894. When they met, she was performing as one of... Read more

Houdini Performs The Mirror Handcuff Challenge

In 1904, the London Daily Mirror newspaper challenged Houdini to escape from a special handcuff that it claimed had taken Nathaniel Hart, a... Read more

Houdini Publishes 'The Unmasking of Robert-Houdin'

"Memory," wrote Dr. Morris N. Young in 1961, "is the sum of what one can remember; the diary of the mind." In the great collections that they built... Read more

Harry Houdini Begins Performing His Milk Can Escape

In 1908, Houdini introduced his own original invention, the Milk Can escape. In this effect, Houdini would be handcuffed and sealed inside an... Read more

Houdini Achieves First Powered Flight Over Australia

In 1909, Houdini became fascinated with aviation. That same year, he purchased a French Voisin biplane for $5000 and hired a full-time mechanic,... Read more

Houdini Performs Overboard Box Escape

Another one of Houdini's most famous publicity stunts (Dalton) was to escape from a nailed and roped packing crate after it had been lowered into... Read more

Houdini Performs The Chinese Water Torture Cell

In 1912, the vast number of imitators prompted Houdini to replace his Milk Can act with the Chinese Water Torture Cell. In this escape, Houdini's... Read more

Houdini Begins Performing Upside-Down Straitjacket Escapes

One of Houdini's most popular publicity stunts was to have himself strapped into a regulation straitjacket and suspended by his ankles from a tall... Read more

Houdini Performs Buried Alive Escape

Throughout his career, Houdini performed three variations on a "Buried Alive" stunt/escape. The first was near Santa Ana, California in 1917, and... Read more

Houdini Performs Vanishing Elephant Illusion at New York's Hippodrome Theatre

When Houdini spread the "front" curtains and opened the "back" doors they were "faced" toward opposite wings. Jennie then strolled on stage, had... Read more

Harry Houdini stars in 'The Grim Game'

A gang of men frame Harvey Hanford (Houdini) for murder, and also decide to kidnap his fiancée. Hanford is quickly apprehended by the police and... Read more

Houdini Begins Debunking Spirits Mediums

Houdini's formal education was slight; his self education, immense. "My mind," he is often quoted as having said, "is the key that sets me free."... Read more

Houdini Starts Houdini Picture Corporation

Following his two-picture stint in Hollywood, Houdini returned to New York and started his own film production company called the "Houdini Picture... Read more

Harry Houdini Dies

Harry Houdini died of peritonitis secondary to a ruptured appendix. It has been speculated that Houdini was killed accidentally by a McGill... Read more

Bess Houdini Holds 'Final Houdini Seance'

Bess Houdini, the magician's widow, held yearly séances on Halloween for ten years after Houdini's death, but Houdini never appeared. In 1936,... Read more

New York City's Hippodrome Theater Closes

On August 16, 1939, New York City's Hippodrome Theater closed its doors for the last time. Built in 1905 with a seating capacity of 5,200, for a... Read more