Google on Thursday celebrated magician Harry Houdini's 137th birth anniversary with a doodle on its home page.
Harry Houdini was a Hungarian-born American magician, stunt performer, actor and film producer noted for his sensational escape acts.
Widely known as 'The Handcuff King', Houdini would free himself from jails, handcuffs, chains, ropes, and straitjackets, often while hanging from a rope in plain sight of street audiences. In each city, Houdini would challenge local police to restrain him with shackles and lock him in their jails.
For most of his career, Houdini 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.
He also acted in several movies and exhibited his talent as a stunt performer. He started his movie career in 1906 by acting in a short film called Houdini Defeats Hackenschmidt.
Harry Houdini died of peritonitis from a ruptured appendix on October 31, aged 52.
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