Harry Houdini on Google Doodle

Today, March 24, is the birthday of Harry Houdini. He was one of the greatest American magician, known for his being an escapologist. For many years, he was the highest-paid performer in American vaudeville. One of Houdini’s most notable non-escape stage illusions was performed at New York’s Hippodrome Theater when he vanished a full-grown elephant (with its trainer) from a stage, beneath which was a swimming pool.

Houdini published numerous books during his career (some of which were written by his good friend Walter Brown Gibson, the creator of The Shadow):

The Right Way to Do Wrong (1906)
Handcuff Secrets (1907)
The Unmasking of Robert Houdin (1908)
Magical Rope Ties and Escapes (1920)
Miracle Mongers and their Methods (1920)
Houdini’s Paper Magic (1921)
A Magician Among the Spirits (1924)
Under the Pyramids (1924) with H. P. Lovecraft