Houdini complained of stomach pains for the rest of the day, leading many to conclude that the unexpected blows somehow triggered his appendicitis. While holding court in his dressing room, Houdini was approached by a university student who inquired about a rumor that he could withstand heavy punches to his abdominal muscles. When Houdini boasted about his physical strength, the young man walloped him in the stomach without warning, leaving him doubled over in agony. The most famous concern was an incident that had occurred after a performance in Montreal on October 22. The official cause of his death was peritonitis brought on by a ruptured appendix, but several legends continue to swirl around his last days. Houdini died on Halloween 1926 at the age of 52, just days after struggling through a final performance in Detroit.
Houdini assisted with the American war effort during WWI. In 2010, Houdini and Defries were both honored with a series of stamps commemorating the centennial of powered flight in Australia. The Aerial League of Australia certified Houdini’s display as the country’s first powered and controlled flight, but some historians have since argued that the record actually belongs to Colin Defries, an Englishman who had made a brief flight a few months earlier. The magician crashed during his maiden flight in Germany, but he continued practicing and eventually set his sights on becoming the first man to pilot an airplane in Australia.ĭuring a tour Down Under in March 1910, Houdini hopped behind the controls of his Voisin and made three successful flights near Melbourne, each only a couple of minutes long. Houdini (center) with fans just before his flight in Australia, March 1910.Īfter developing a passion for aviation while in Europe in 1909, Houdini bought a French-made Voisin biplane and became one of the world’s first private pilots. His brother was also a successful magician. One stunt saw him jump into a Rochester, New York, river with his hands manacled behind his back in another, he broke out of the jail cell that had once held Charles Guiteau, the man who assassinated President James A. The newly christened “King of Handcuffs” played to sold-out crowds across Europe, and he later cemented his fame by staging several high-profile escapes in the United States. He began challenging audiences to tie him up or lock him in handcuffs, and he promoted his shows by staging escapes from local jails, usually after being strip-searched and put in shackles by police. On Beck’s advice, Houdini made escapes a central part of his act. He finally caught a break in 1899, when vaudeville impresario Martin Beck booked him on a tour of the United States and Europe. Houdini struggled during his early years in show business and considered calling it quits and opening a magic school. Getty Images / Universal History Archive / UIG
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