Harry Houdini Childhood Facts: 15 Never Known Facts about The great Harry Houdini’s Childhood.
Harry Houdini
Today in this post we’ll be revealing Some Harry Houdini childhood facts. Jewish Rabbi Mayer SámuelWeisz’s wife CecíliaSteinerwife gave birth to a baby boy on March 24, 1874, in Budapest, Hungary. They named him ErikWeisz, later they moved to Appleton, Wisconsin in the year 1878. The family then changed their family name from ‘Weisz’ to ‘Weiss’ as per German spelling and ‘Erik’ turned into ‘Erich’. As per American Consensus which was conducted in July 1880, the family was in Appleton, Wisconsin and later in the year 1882, they became an American citizen.
Harry Houdini Childhood Facts
- Young Erik’s named was gradually turned into a nickname ‘Ehrie’ or ‘Harry’ by the family,
- Harry was the fourth boy in his family.
- When the family moved to America, Erich later Harry, was only four years old and there he developed an interest in athlete and gymnasts.
- He won the title of ‘Champion’, in ‘Cross Country Runner’.
- He was not educated and just passed third grade.
- When he was only 8 years old he attended the famous magic show named ‘Bloodless Vivisection’ which was created by famous English conjurer ‘Dr. Lynn’, in Wisconsin in the year 1880 and got charmed by him.
- Harry’s childhood was not a piece of cake; he did several jobs and was living a boarding house.
- Harry, when turned 9 years of age he made his debut appearance on stage as a trapeze act.
- After his appearance on stage, he named himself ‘Ehrich, the prince of the Air’.
- He ran away from his home at the age of 12.
Ran Away Days
Little is known about his runaway days, when he left the home he had to stay in shelters, he also lived on the street and sometimes he camped in an open air.
- Later at the age of 13, he joined his family again in New York and started supported them financially, by working as a photography assistant, necktie cutter, and messenger. The place where he worked as a necktie cutter is H.Richter’s Sons where he was employed for more than two years, he got that job in a very cunning way, when he spotted that there is a long queue for that job, he went ahead of the queue and said is a bossy voice that the position has filled and later went inside and obtain that post.
- He was a member of Pastime Athletic Club and the Amateur Union. He took part in various competitions such as boxing championship, bicycle races, foot races and swimming races where he won. Where he took lessons from the skeptical Joseph Rinn.
- He also tried to take part in US Olympic team.
- It was his life of time where Harry with his brother named; Theo started taking interest in magic. He read an autobiography of the eminent French magician Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin’s‘The Memoirs of Robert-Houdin’, and became captivated. This charm made him adopted his last name with an addition of ‘I’ to it and made it ‘Houdini’.
If you have some more to add in this list of harry Houdini childhood facts, let us know in the comment section.
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