What we know
What we know: Houdini’s centennial spotlight: A newly published essay and a fresh fight over when and how he died
Compiled Oct 31
What we know
- Harry Houdini died a century ago, and interest in him continues with new publications and events.
- Houdini was born Erik Weisz in 1874, the son of a rabbi whose family emigrated to the U.S. to escape antisemitism in Austria-Hungary.
- By his teens Houdini was a professional magician, and by age 30 he was an international celebrity known for escaping handcuffs and restraints.
- A previously unpublished Houdini essay, 'An Interesting Scrapbook,' has just appeared in The Strand Magazine.
- Eric Colleary's book 'Houdini's Library' came out in September and describes Houdini's deep interest in earlier magicians.
- According to contemporary media accounts, Houdini died Oct. 31, 1926, from diffuse peritonitis after being hospitalized with appendicitis.
What we don’t know yet
- The exact date of Houdini's death is disputed: some records list Oct. 30, while the official death certificate lists Oct. 31.
- The true cause of death is disputed: official accounts cite peritonitis from appendicitis, while Gillespie's book argues it was intestinal blockage.
- Whether Houdini's death date was deliberately altered to align with Halloween is disputed among experts.
- No autopsy was performed, which the article says allowed alternate theories about his death to persist.
Open questions
- What is the actual date of Houdini's death—Oct. 30 or Oct. 31?
- What truly caused Houdini's death—peritonitis from appendicitis, or intestinal blockage from a doctor's dietary decision?
- Was Houdini's death date deliberately recorded as Halloween to enhance his legacy?
- What new information does Gillespie's book contribute about Houdini's career beyond the death controversy?
Drawn from the Associated Press report. “What we don’t know” lists only what the reporting itself flags as unresolved.