What are facts about the magician Houdini?

Answer 1

Harry Houdini's birth name was Erik Weisz and he was born in Budapest, Austria-Hungary in 1874. A natural trickster, Harry later began to claim that he was really born in Appleton, Wisconsin. When his family came to America when he was four years old, his mother changed the spelling of the family's last name to its German form, Weiss, and changed the spelling of young Erik's name to Ehrich. Friends began to call him Ehrie or Harry. His family settled in Appleton, Wisconsin where his father became a Rabbi; he moved to New York City with his father, and later followed by the rest of his family, in 1887. His first stage act was as a trapeze artist, which eventually led him to become a magician and rename himself Harry Houdini. In 1899, after years of performing in low profile settings, he met a manager by the name of Martin Beck, who gave him advice to specialize in escape acts and also launched his career to the level that brought him international fame as a magician. His various jaw-dropping escapes solidified his presence in the magicians' hall of fame. He also became the president of the country's oldest magic company, Martinka & Co., which is still in business today.