Ok in my english class, I have to do a research paper. I wanted to do a paper on our legend, Harry Houdini! I would like everyone to tell me things that they belived happened to Houdini, or things people think of Houdini.

Here are things I would like to be covered:
*Houdini and Spirtualists

i got a harry houdini action figure type thing and it had a whole bunch of info on him. his real name was eric weisz or something like that. i dont know if that helps at all...

There are numerous books and websites and even a few dvds all about him.

I would start there, but be careful at which ones you use.

You probably wont really learn much here. Most here will just recite the obvious/well know, the myths, and incorrect 'statements.'

Check out your local school or public library - - there's lots of books on his life and career

Doug Henning wrote a very comprehensive book called Houdini: His Legend and His Magic, which is well worth buying...even after you have finished your report. Another book I have read, which details Houdini's mindset throughout his career is called, Houdini: A Mind in Chains written by Bernard Meyer M.D. Both books give you accurate information into Houdini's life and Magic.

The Secret Life Of Houdini is an exelent book that I'm reading right now and has about 500 pages, it is incredebly in depth. Did you know Houdini was shot in the hand and carried the bullet until he died? Oh and by the way the book talks a very small amount about a theory that he might have been a spy but not to much don't worry.

I agree with Sevenofclubs.
The Secret Life of Houdini is a very good book on this topic, but it is long, and it would take a while to get information from.

By the way, his original name was Erich Weiß.

His last name was Weiss. I have always had a lot of respect for Houdini. In many ways, our lives sort of paralleled each others...in a weird way. For a long time, people had referred to me as Houdini...even as a kid. Harry Houdni will be with me for the rest of my life...Guaranteed. His face is tattooed on my body.

Ok that's just weird man... weird.... (jk)

He died from an ulcer in his stomach after being punched in the stomach by a spectator, not from drowning in his milk can escape like has been reported.


That is all.

Actuallty he died from peritonitis, a serious infection due to an untreated ruptured appendix. He died at 1:26 p.m.(EST) on October 31, 1926, in room 401 in a hospital in Detroit.

Here's weird...

Houdini was born in 1874.
I was born in 1974

Houdini became intrigued with magic and lockpicking around age 11
I started doing magic when I turned 11

Houdini married his wife, Bess in 1894.
I got married in 1994.

Here's something I found interesting....Houdini died exactly 7 months and 7 days after his birthday...

Exactly 7 months and 7 days after my birthday, I got my Houdini tattoo.

Now that last one is kinda reaching way out there, but I thought it was interesting because none of those events were done intentional...all coincidence. Now THAT is weird.

There is a new theory on how he died. Some have said that it was due to poisoning, and they have a strong argument for that.

Heard that theory. A couple of years ago, they wanted to exhume the body and test it, but the family wouldn't allow it. Don't blame them. Even if he WAS poisoned, the guilty are all dead. Would good would it do. The teory is POSSIBLE. Not likely, but possible. houdini was friends with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who was deeply involved in the Spiritualism Movement. I think Doyle would have kept that from happening. Houdini had dozens of death threats against him made by the people associated with the Boston Medium, Margery. Maybe they DID carry them out. No one will never really know.

I remember reading where the granddaughter or grand niece (something like that) of Margie stated (after reading some documents of Margie's that she found) that Margie really was planning something like that. The Spiritualists also had done it quite a few times before. But like you said, it's just a possibility. Until changed, I will stick with the official death story. I just find the other one much more interesting.