Unfortunately for him, though, it seems he was the second person to achieve this.

Being ambitious and determined as ever, he wanted to become the first person to perform a controlled flight over Australia. He purchased an airplane in 1909-his first. Houdini almost became the first man to perform a controlled flight over Australia.Īnother of the great passions of Houdini’s life was aviation, and as fame and fortune came his way, he was sure not to forget it. Houdini bequeathed his magical paraphernalia to his brother on his death, which Hardeen continued to use. As Hardeen once stated, “We made no secret of the fact that we were brothers… but we did keep secret not only the fact that we were good friends but that Harry had set me up in business!” As the “King of Handcuffs” gained fame, he and his brother, then known as Hardeen, continued to work on illusions, maintaining the belief that the pair were vicious rivals to keep the interest in both of their acts. However, there was actually another accomplished and respected magician in Houdini’s very own familyįerenc Dezső Weisz, Houdini’s younger brother, had performed with his superstar sibling earlier in his career. Many today consider Houdini to be the very last word in magic and illusions. Houdini’s brother was also an accomplished magician. Word spread, crowds grew, and he came to be known as “The King of Handcuffs!” While in Europe, he practiced refining his skills as an escape artist. It was then that he was sent on a European and United States tour by Martin Beck, a big industry name. At the close of the 19 th century, he was struggling to support himself as a performer and almost decided to open a school of magic instead. Harry Houdini was first known as “The King Of Handcuffs.”īorn Erik Weisz, Harry Houdini went by a different stage name in the early stages of his remarkable career. From his feats in the field of aviation to his work in the field of spiritualism, here are some of the most fascinating and unbelievable facts about Harry Houdini’s extraordinary life. Even more astonishingly, this is just scratching the surface of his story.

The handcuff king