Harry Houdini Throughout the ages, humans have been fascinated by the mystery and excitement behind magic. There have been countless magicians and entertainers who have brought smiles, laughter and excitement to the faces of audiences. However, the most famous of these illusionists was Harry Houdini. Despite some setbacks early in his career, Houdini continued to believe in himself and his hard work eventually led him to stardom. He understood that what “the eyes see and the ears hear, the mind believes.” People crave emotions that cannot be explained. As the great Houdini himself stated, “the simplest way to attract a crowd is to let it be known that at a given time and in a given place someone will attempt something which, if unsuccessful, will mean sudden death.” Harry Houdini has indeed set a pretty high bar for aspiring magicians thanks to his mechanical expertise in magic and the mystery behind his illustrious escapes. The man some might call “the greatest magician who ever lived” was Harry Houdini. He was born under the name Erich Weisz in the great capital Budapest, Hungary, on March 24, 1874. Erich was born to the Jewish rabbi Mayer Sámul Weisz and his mother Cecília Weisz. Erich was part of a large family consisting of his half-brother Herman M. (1863-1885), Nathan J. (1870-1972), Gottfried William (1872-1925), Theodore also known by the nickname "Theo" (1876-1945 ), Leopold D. (1879-1962), and his only sister, Carrie Gladys (1882-1959). On July 3, 1878, four-year-old Erich and his family packed their bags, boarded the SS Fresia, and headed to the Big Apple, New York City (Monticup). The family then changed their surname to “Weiss” and as...... middle of paper ......a-magician-before-his-time.html>.“Harry Houdini (1874 -1926 ).” PBS.1999. .Fleischman, Sid. Escape!: The Story of the Great Houdini. New York: Greenwillow, 2006. “Harry Houdini.” Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, 1996-2013. March 10, 2014.Monticup, Jackie. "Houdini Biography". MagicTricks.com. March 2014. "The Great Harry Houdini." thegreatharryhoudini.com. 2013. March 11, 2014. “Harry Houdini.” Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Columbia University Press, 1 September 2013. Web. 17 March. 2014. .