This Sunday, March 24, would have been Harry Houdini's 139th birthday!
He lived a really fascinating life, his career starting as early as 9 years
old, as a trapeze artist in the circus.
He went on to become a magician, taking the name Harry Houdini as his stage name.
He became the great escape artist, without using "smoke and mirrors" to trick the
audience.
He would calm himself into a meditative state to concentrate on freeing himself, along with his ability to regurgitate a key, and dislocate his arm, he could escape anything.
His death, contrary to what movies may have led us to believe, was not in any escape act. He died from peritonitis from a ruptured appendix, after surgery trying to correct it.
His appendix was ruptured when a college student caught him off
guard and punched him in the stomach, (before he could brace himself) after hearing the claims Houdini could withstand any blow to the abdomen.
