Houdini Sucker-Punched: Blow That Sealed His Fate
J. Gordon Whitehead, a McGill University student, visited Harry Houdini's dressing room in Montreal on October 22, 1926, and asked if it was true the magician could withstand any blow to his abdomen. Before Houdini could brace himself, Whitehead punched him repeatedly in the stomach. Houdini had been reclining on a couch reading mail. He was already suffering from appendicitis, though he didn't know it. The blows may have aggravated or ruptured his already inflamed appendix. Houdini refused medical attention and performed that evening despite severe pain. Over the next several days he continued performing while running a fever above 104 degrees. He finally collapsed after a show in Detroit and was hospitalized. Surgeons found a gangrenous appendix. Houdini died on October 31, Halloween, at age 52.
October 22, 1926
100 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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