Harry Houdini – one of the most famous Hungarians

Harry Houdini was born under the name Erik Weisz on 24 March 1874 in Budapest. He was an American illusionist and magician with Hungarian origins, who is often considered as the greatest escape artist of all time. G. B. Shaw claimed that the three most often mentioned names in the world are of Jesus, Sherlock Holmes and Houdini.

He was born in District VII in 10th Csengery Street, as the son of a rabbi with many children. It is frequently told that he stated that he was born in the United States, but this is probably just one of the many legends surrounding his name. However, it is a fact that his family moved to Appleton when he was young, proceeding later to New York.

During his teenage years, he worked as newsboy and shoe polisher. He fled from home when he was 12 years old and joined a travelling circus. His career there did not last long because he had to return home to help his parents.

He trained himself from a very young age: he jogged, swam, boxed, developing an extremely tough condition that was quite useful for his tricks in the future.

Then he realized his opportunities as a magician. He began with card tricks which earned him the nickname the King of Cards, which turned into the King of Handcuffs later. According to 24.hu, he met Martin Beck in 1899 who advised him to focus on escape performances. He hired him and took him on a tour around Europe. He gained Ł300 a week for regularly freeing himself from the handcuffs of Scotland Yard. As he was touring in Europe, he asked for a pair of handcuffs, locks, even prison cells from each local police for his tricks. He was often stripped bare and searched through, but he still managed to free himself every time.

Houdini could get out from everything from coffins through cupboards to glass boxes filled with water.

He could dig himself out from earthed mounds. He once freed himself from the stomach of a dead whale on the shore.