-
Harry Was born as Erich Weiss
Harry Houdini was born in Budapest, Hungary in a Jewish family.Houdini claimed in interviews to have been born in Appleton, Wisconsin, on April 6, 1874. He was really born on March 24, 1874. -
Moves to Appleto,Wisconsin
Weiss family joins Rabbi Weiss in Appleton, Wisconsin, where he leads a small Reform congregation. -
Circus Shows
At age nine, Ehrich and some neighborhood friends establish a five-cent circus. Wearing red woolen stockings, he bills himself as "Ehrich, The Prince of the Air." -
Moves to NY
After a series of failures in the Midwest, Rabbi Weiss brings Ehrich with him to New York City, where they live in a boardinghouse on East Seventy-ninth Street. Ehrich works a variety of jobs to help support the family. -
"The Brothers Houdini"
Ehrich teams up with Jacob Hyman, a friend from his job at a neckwear cutting firm, in a magic act they call "The Brothers Houdini." Ehrich, known as Ehrie, starts calling himself "Harry Houdini." -
Father Dies
Rabbi Weiss dies on October 5 at the age of 63 -
"The Houdinis"
Jacob Hyman leaves The Brothers Houdini and is replaced briefly by Harry's brother Theodore, or Dash. That summer, Harry meets fellow performer Wilhelmina Beatrice Rahner, and after a three-week courtship Harry and eighteen-year-old "Bess" are married. Bess replaces Dash, and the act becomes known simply as "The Houdinis." -
"The Metamorphisis"
The Houdinis achieve some success with their signature number, "The Metamorphosis," in which they trade places in a locked trunk. Harry also begins experimenting with public handcuff escapes, including exhibitions for police and reporters. -
Demanded
After struggling for six years, Houdini catches his big break. Theater manager Martin Beck sees his handcuff act in St. Paul, and wires several days later: "You can open Omaha March 26 sixty dollars, will see act probably make you proposition for all next season." Within months, Beck has Houdini in demand at top vaudeville houses across the country. -
International Star
"The King of Handcuffs" sets sail for England, hoping to meet with as much success in Europe as he had enjoyed over the last year in America. He would spend the bulk of the next five years overseas, becoming a truly international star. -
Water Torture Cell
Houdini performs his underwater box escape in New York's East River before a huge crowd. "Scientific American" magazine pronounces it "one of the most remarkable tricks ever performed." In September, Houdini debuts his famous Chinese Water Torture Cell escape at the Circus Busch in Berlin. -
Funeral
Houdini's funeral is held on November 4th at the Elks Clubhouse on West Forty-third Street in New York. As many as two thousand mourners pack the ballroom, and the event is widely covered. According to his instructions, he is buried with his head resting on a packet of letters from his mother. -
Houdini Dies
Houdini dies in Detroit on Halloween, from complications of appendicitis. Several days earlier, he had been struck in the stomach by a student in his dressing room, then refused to cancel his shows until it was too late. His death triggers mourning and tributes around the world.
