MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – On this day, March 24, 1874, the famous magician Harry Houdini was born in Budapest, Hungary.
Houdini later emigrated to Appleton.
Houdini’s time in Appleton was short-lived, as he moved to New York at the age of nine.
He began his career as a trapeze performer before later becoming a magician, for which he gained national recognition for his escape acts.
Besides handcuffs and ropes, Houdini was known to free himself from locked containers and boxes. For added anticipation, Houdini would often have those boxes hanging upside down in the air or submerged in water.
His escape acts brought him national attention, and also landed him movie roles throughout the 1910s and 20s.
Houdini died on October 31st, 1926, at the age of 52.
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