Becoming Harry Houdini, the “Handcuff King”
He started his career in stunts at an early age. His start as a trapeze artist at age nine was just the beginning. By 1891, at the age of 17, he launched a Vaudeville career in magic. It was then that he changed his name to Harry Houdini – to honor the famous French magician, Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin.
Photo by Moviestore Collection / Shutterstock
As Houdini, he became known as the “handcuff king” who marveled his audiences around the world with his daring escapes. His most famous escape – the water torture cell in 1913 – involved having only two minutes to escape. Obviously, he pulled it off, to the amusement and relief of his audiences.