Harry Houdini (, born Erik Weisz; March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926) was a Hungarian-American escape artist, illusionist, stunt performer and mysteriarch, noted for his escape acts. He first attracted notice in vaudeville in the United States and then as "Harry 'Handcuff' Houdini" on a tour of Europe, where he challenged police forces to keep him locked up. Soon he extended his repertoire to include chains, ropes slung from skyscrapers, straitjackets under water, and having to escape from and hold his breath inside a sealed milk can with water in it. In 1904, thousands watched as he tried to escape from special handcuffs commissioned by London's Daily Mirror, keeping them in suspense for an hour. Another stunt saw him buried alive and only just able to claw himself to the surface, emerging in a state of near-breakdown. While many suspected that these escapes were faked, Houdini presented himself as the scourge of fake spiritualists.
Harry Houdini (nacido Erik Weisz; 24 de marzo de 1874 – 31 de octubre de 1926) fue un artista de escape húngaro-estadounidense, ilusionista, artista de acrobacias y misteriógrafo, notado por sus actos de escape. Primero atrajo la atención en vaudeville en Estados Unidos y luego como "Harry 'Handcuff' Houdini" en una gira por Europa, donde desafió a las fuerzas de policía para mantenerlo encerrado. Pronto extendió su repertorio para incluir cadenas, cuerdas deslizadas de rascacielos, chaquetas bajo el agua, y tener que escapar y mantener su respiración dentro de una lata de leche sellada con agua en ella. En 1904, miles de personas vieron como intentaba escapar de las cuerdas especiales encargadas por el diario londinense Daily Mirror, manteniéndolas en suspensión durante una hora.