Who was Harry Houdini? episode artwork

EPISODE · Mar 22, 2026 · 12 MIN

Who was Harry Houdini?

from History for Kids / History's Not Boring: The Kids History Podcast · host SCL

Get ready to be amazed! Welcome to History's Not Boring! Have you ever seen someone escape from handcuffs, straitjackets, or even huge locked boxes filled with water? That was Harry Houdini! This incredible escape artist started his life as a little boy named Erik in Hungary before moving to America. By age nine, he was already performing! Learn how this master magician tricked the world. He made an entire elephant disappear on stage! What was his most dangerous trick—the scary Chinese Water Torture Cell? Find out how this man became the one person no lock or chain could hold! Prepare to be utterly baffled by the real-life magic of Houdini!Correction: In this episode we stated that Houdini and his wife Bess used the code word "abracadabra" - the actual secret message was "Rosabelle believe," based on the song Bess was singing when they first met. The word was spelled out using a secret code magicians use during mentalism acts.

Get ready to be amazed! Welcome to History's Not Boring! Have you ever seen someone escape from handcuffs, straitjackets, or even huge locked boxes filled with water? That was Harry Houdini! This incredible escape artist started his life as a little boy named Erik in Hungary before moving to America. By age nine, he was already performing! Learn how this master magician tricked the world. He made an entire elephant disappear on stage! What was his most dangerous trick—the scary Chinese Water ...

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Who was Harry Houdini?

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How long is this episode of History for Kids / History's Not Boring: The Kids History Podcast?

This episode is 12 minutes long.

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This episode was published on March 22, 2026.

What is this episode about?

Get ready to be amazed! Welcome to History's Not Boring! Have you ever seen someone escape from handcuffs, straitjackets, or even huge locked boxes filled with water? That was Harry Houdini! This incredible escape artist started his life as a little...

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Yes, a full transcript is available for this episode. You can read the complete transcript on the episode page.

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