As befits a master of deception, much mystery surrounds the death of Ehrich Weiss, better known by his stage name, Harry Houdini.
The most common misconception about his death arose from the 1953 movie Houdini, starring Tony Curtis. In the movie, Houdini died during a failed escape from the infamous Chinese Water Torture Cell.
The truth was slightly less dramatic. According to the Houdini Historical Center of Appleton, Wisconsin, the famous magician, author, psychic debunker, aviator, and movie star died on Halloween Day, 1926, in Detroit, Michigan. The official cause of death was peritonitis caused by appendicitis.
Another misconception has it that Houdini's death resulted from a blow to the stomach:
Houdini was known for his tremendous physical condition, and could withstand blows to the abdomen by tensing his muscles. While performing in Canada, however, he was challenged by a student who didn't give him time to prepare for the punch. Whether or not the blow ruptured his appendix, it did not cause his appendicitis, which is a bacterial infection.
To learn more about the life (and death) of the famous escape artist, do what we did. Start in Yahoo!'s Harry Houdini category.
We particularly enjoyed the Houdini Tribute site, where we found a whole page devoted to Houdini's untimely demise, including photos of his grave and casket and a video clip of his funeral. But, remember -- don't try his tricks at home!
Harry Houdini was the most influential magician of the 20th century. His specialty was escapes: slipping out of ropes, chains and handcuffs while locked in trunks and milk cans or submerged underwater. (He once jumped into San Francisco Bay while handcuffed and shackled to a ball and chain.) In an era before TV, Houdini became world famous by barnstorming across America and around the globe. His skills and showmanship made the single name "Houdini" synonymous with entertaining magic; he is often credited with influencing later magicians from David Copperfield to David Blaine. He died in 1926, reportedly due to peritonitis after his appendix ruptured; the legend that he died during a failed escape is untrue. He was buried without an autopsy, and in 2007 a plan by family members to exhume his body moved forward, in an effort to solve the longstanding mystery of what caused his death.
