Now that you know the truth about Houdini's death check out this video and find out about The Bizarre Hollywood Phenomenon of “Twin Films”: ruclips.net/video/nfe40-wfdCs/видео.html
Would you please answering a question that I have really been wanting to know since I was a small kid. The king cobra shows that are in India. I was about 7 or 8 when I watched the King Cobra show with my parents. Now I am 43 and still haven't found a clear cut answer. Do they defang them or somehow take their venom glands out? I've been told that they just milk them all before the show. But it doesn't take much venom to either kill or make you wish that you were dead. I watched one of the guys doing the show get bit in the face. I'm not asking for a video, I'm just looking for an answer. Thank you very much.
Not if you've ever had, or seen someone who had untreated appendicitis, and most likely (in Houdini's case) full blown sepsis... It's pretty manageable/preventable now since decent medical care is just a 911 call away for most people, and most take it at the sign of SERIOUS pain, and we have antibiotics and good pain meds, but untreated it's kinda like having your stomach ripped out through both your side AND butt... WHILE you have the flu... because your blood is literally contaminated with your poo... And he had that, AND a broken ankle, when he showed up to do his job, and still took a "punch me in the gut" challenge, from someone 30 years younger, just for bragging rights, and THEN was like, "Nah, I'm fine, time to work"... And afterward, STILL didn't want his wife to take him to the hospital, because he was like, "I'll be fine"... until she cursed him out enough to call his own doc, who said "freaking go" and he was like "OK fine, whatever will shut you BOTH up" Smartest decisions ever made? Prolly not, knowing what we know now... But that's pretty damned badass if you ask me...
What our narrator Simon Whistler fails to mention, is that it wasn't just any punch. It was the five finger death punch. And Houdini is such a badass, because he didn't die instantly from the punch, but it did rupture his appendix. The appendix does take time to rightly shore up before withstanding such a blow, which -like was said- Houdini wasn't quite prepared for.
Depends on when you heard the "rumor" which was not so much a rumor, as people thinking the fictional depiction of his death in a film was based on actual history, which it wasn't (to the film's defense, it was believed by many that he died that way at the time the film was made, and the filmmakers chose to depict the common belief rather than research the actual historical facts. Wouldn't be the first or last film to ever do such.) These days a lot less people have seen or even heard of that film, so more people believe his cause of death to be a lot closer to what it actually was.
Im smarter than you guys I knew he died by punch he refused to get surgery so when he finally got surgery it was to late si then he was fighting it off then he said to his brother I can't fight any more than died
I remember 10-15 years ago watching an actual TV documentary stating that Houdini died via accidental drowning during one of his acts. It's crazy how far misinformation can reach..
Those TV documentaries still love to say Jimi Hendrix died of a heroin overdose. Well I know they used to, haven't watched one in at least 12-15 years. There is no truth on TV so I gave it up.
I’m interested in Whitehead’s reaction to the initial kerfluffal. I would have felt awful if it were me...hopefully he was able to deal with the whole thing more sensibly than I would have.
I feel bad for him, but if it's any consolation Houdini would have likely died either way, since he refused medical treatment even when doctors made it clear he urgently needed it.
There's some evidence Whitehead was a true believer (or wide eye in the parlance of the time) in the spiritualist movement. It's possible the attack was meant to seriously hurt Houdini.
One punch my ass. He should have listened to the doctors he paid to look at him and told him "go to a hospital". He was told that DAYS before he finally went. It was a very stupid thing to do.
@@vixlqq638 he didn't commit suicide, I'm sure he wanted to continue living. Sure his stubbornness ultimately lead to his death but that's much different than suicide.
Jones Dakota, um he really was an athlete who did amazing things. He really believed in himself. He did incredible things during his lifetime. He did admit to his brother the day before he died, He said I’m tired of fighting Dash, I think this is going to get to me.
I wonder if a mistrust of hospitals and doctors is common in Hungarian culture. My grandma was Hungarian and did not go to the doctor at all in the last 60 years of her life. She lived into her 90's, but medical treatment could have helped her live longer (she died of skin cancer that she had home treated for about 20 years as it slowly worsened). Of course, a sample of two is much to small to draw any conclusions.
My Grandma is Hungarian also (still alive). I wouldn't say she mistrusts hospitals, but she is definitely indifferent to seeking professional medical treatment when she should. She always says she has gypsy blood, and I think that nomadic, self-sufficient attitude has some genetic basis among Hungarians. They are always looking to keep on the move, and always rely on themselves first and foremost. The idea of being stuck in a bed with nurses and doctors tending to them is very unpleasant.
My grandma on father's side mistrusted doctors and she was Maltese. She died when 87 when her grandniece was getting married- she just gave up on life.
I'm Hungarian. It's common that especially older men don't seek medical help even if needed. But I think it's the same elsewhere. My grandfather only went to the hospital when he had final stadium cancer already.
No pun intended, but this hits a bit close to home. 3 years ago my appendix ruptured, only without most of the common symptoms. I wasn't feverish, and the pain wasn't that bad. The symptoms were more like an impacted bowel. This started on a Thursday, but I didn't go to the ER until Sunday when I finally had a fever and the pain wasn't subsiding. So I walked over there (it's 4 blocks away). The doctors were not 100% sure when exactly my appendix had gone kerblammo, so after the scans and bloodwork came back they told me surgery needed to happen immediately because I was septic.They all seemed surprised that I walked in there and more so that I was walking around for at least a day, possibly 3 like that. Sufficed to say they got in there in time to clean out the remnants of my appendix and stitch up the hole before it killed me. I was in the hospital for a week afterwards while they pumped antibiotics and fluids in to get my white blood cell count down and deal with the dehydration. They all but ran out of places to take blood from. This was a few days before Trevor Noah's appendix ruptured and he discharged himself to do the Daily Show. My doctors were not about to let me out apparently. To be fair, he got operated on either just after or right before his ruptured. My infection had way more time to setup shop. Once discharged I was basically confined to bed for a month.
@@nizzfizz9505 the pun is the first sentence... hits close to home. Houdini was hit and then died and the story hit close to home meaning that it reminded him of his appendicitis experience like Houdini.
@Laser325 Appendicitis? Harry died of "peritonitis", did you not hear that? Two different things. If you catch the flu develops into pneumonia and die, you died of pneumonia not the flu. Yeah and at the end the movie a Psychic gave his widow Beth the secrete message Harry said he would communicate if there was life after death. You believe that really happened?
*walks up to the worlds most famous and talented escape artist as he's trying to relax with a broken ankle, proceeds to punch him multiple times in the abdomen, weeks later receive news of his death* "Aw, what a shame. I punched that guy once."
I've never heard that Houdini died in a water tank trick. I still haven't watched the video yet but as I understand it Houdini died after being sucker-punched in either the gut or the kidney, something like that.
Incredible, not just that Houdini died from a ruptured appendix before the days of antibiotics, but that my FATHER survived from a ruptured appendix in 1922 when he was thirteen! Thank you God!
His surgeon left a remarkable scar that always scared me when I was little. I guess he knew he had to get in there quickly. The poor kid did almost die and spent 3 months in the infirmary and had to learn to walk again. I told my grandboys and they were duly amazed and thankful. There are both thirteen. All would have been for naught ... but God.
F*** ____? So eloquent. You don't even KNOW me. Wouldn't YOU like to know what my father did? I'm sure he did more than YOU ever dreamed of doing. You may "insult" me but you better leave my Italian father out of it! ;-)
I have read several biographies of Houdini. One well researched enough to explain how many of Houdini's challenge excapes were done (he carried a shop in his private car and modified them when, as he required, the challenge device was left on display overnight), states that the blow was by a reporter on the train, that Houdini was distracted and didn't realize he had just given permission to hit him, therefore not tightening up. Also that the blow agrivated the about to burst appendix. Another account with medical consultation says that Houdini did reach the hospital on time but refused surgery. Also you have one slight error. Houdini believed absolutely in spirits. He was lost under the frozen Detroit river when a chain broke. He believed that his mother's voice led him to the hole in the ice just after she died. His anti-spiritist activity was anger at not finding a single one who was not a fake. He was an expert at seances and spirit cabinets having been one of the best Mentalists of his time. By the way his straight jacket and prison excapes were real made possible by skill and much practice.
Oh? I thought it was common to know that Houdini died from a punch to the abdomen by one of his fans. It would be awfully ironic to have died in a water tank.
That's always what I heard as well, but then again, I read about the more-or-less correct version from some series of biography books aimed at kids, and had never heard of the movie which portrayed the water tank legend. Either way, shitty way to go.
Houdini's brother Ted (Dash to family and friends),was also a magician/ escape artist performing under the name HARDEEN. Harry and Ted performed on vaudeville as the Houdini Brothers early in their careers. Ted is the founder of the Magicians Guild as well as known for creating several famous escapes.
Doubt it was clickbait as such, probably more the assumption that people old enough to have had watched the movie had about his death. Oddly enough, the younger ones of us (relatively speaking, anyhow, I turn 40 in two weeks) who had heard about his demise generally got the more-or-less correct version of events.
I actually suffered two days after my appendix burst before seeing a doctor. By then it had also progressed to peritonitis, because… well, untreated ruptured appendicitis does that. Even with modern medicine, I ended up spending a month in the hospital, without eating or drinking anything, and getting everything through IV fluids. As a result, it’s pretty hard for me to ever forget how Houdini died, because… well, clearly, I almost went out the same way. There but for antibiotic go I, and all.
Thank you. I genuinely love when you folks clear up Urban Legends. I always heard growing up that he died from a punch to the belly. But supposedly HH would fill his belly with air prior to underwater acts for two reasons: 1)to swell his body up as to make any ropes or chains around him looser after burping. 2)He would belch/burp air and somehow breathe it. Also, for added effect, he would let out air bubbles for the crowd to see and the sheer volume of belly and lung air would build suspense in onlookers. Anyhow, the rumor went that his belly was pumped with air like this when he received a flurry of blows and blew out a valve( for ignorance of a better term) in his throat. My father used to stay underwater for 5 minutes somehow(probably practice) and he was the purveyor of this myth. Thanks again for clearing it up.
I'm totally thrilled that this video didn't parrot off the usual urban legend of Houdini's appendicitis being directly caused by the blows he received to his abdomen. When I saw the title of this video, I cringed in anticipation of hearing this oft-repeated load of malarky. Kudos to the writer of this video for actually getting it right! Yes, Houdini did die of appendicitis...but it wasn't caused by the punches. Appendicitis isn't caused by physical blows....but I agree that Houdini most likely brushed off the pain, likely blaming it on those punches. Would he have sought medical attention had it not been for that incident? That is up for debate...though I do think it did at least play a role in his ultimately fatal decision. Another creepy fact about his last days in hospital... back then, it was customary for doctors not to let their patients know they were going to die.... so in keeping with that tradition, Houdini's doctor convinced him that he will recover, knowing full well he had only days to live.... and so up until the end, Houdini really did think he was going to make it through unscathed. Call me a coward, but I think I'd prefer not knowing of my imminent death!
I've NEVER heard the drowning version... I've always been told the thing about him getting punched before he could prepare himself, causing shit with his organs..... What
I've enjoyed your channel for a long while, but rarely comment. the content here is ALWAYS VARIABLE, and completely accurate/compelling. just a marvelous job. I thank you.
@@etamommy Nope. My next words were: "And completely accurate" described that. I used the word "variable" to bring light to the complexity of his content.
Ok, Tymesho. Thanks for the clarification. Makes sense. I guess when I think of content being variable I tend to think in terms of quality but you evidently are writing in terms of the vast variety of topics covered. @@tymesho
@@etamommy Indeed! Also, please don't mistake my response to you as being rude. (Others/friends and family have told me so.) I tend to be short with responses, of which I'm working on, lol. Isn't this a remarkable channel though? ~Best
Houdini was a very Talented man it’s amazing how easily he would change his name in yjose days you could just do it at a whim it seems. Wasn’t a lot of paperwork to fill out or file.
Houdini is one of the few whose name is synonymous with his art, just like Einstein and Hawking are synonymous with intelligence and Hitler with dictatorship.
It's a shame that Houdini, along with many others, had doubts about seeing doctors during this time period. Bing Crosby's favorite session guitarist, Eddie Lang, was another celebrity who feared doctors and put off seeking medical attention until he had no choice. Lang had his tonsils removed but never woke up. Surgery is never a given, but back then it was much more hit or miss.
I can relate, only i was about 5 when i got thumped in the side and had to wait a day before my parents decide to go to the hospital to get my appendix out. The wound still pains to this day.
Not too bad. I give you 85-90% accuracy. In high school I read every book available on the life of Houdini (Eric Weiss). A theory I read was that Houdini was busy in his dressing room preparing for the show. The husky college wrestler boxer came into his dressing room and asked Houdini the stomach strength question. Houdini said yes, still focusing on preparations turned to the college athlete, as the athlete gave him the heavy stomach punch. It was supposed to double over Houdini and drop him to the floor. The athlete apologized and Houdini stood back up and requested another punch, which he took ready. Houdini finishes his show and falls after passing the stage curtain. After doctors examine him etc. ~72 hours later he died. Also Houdini(Eric Weiss) did under study with a circus magician where learned to tight rope along with swallowing small potatoes and bring them back up at will. Houdini also was a Pioneer of motion picture tricks at its inception just previous to film acting. Houdini was a tough guy for his day, practising ice baths for hours etc. So I applaud you in the land of RUclips on accuracy without over embellishment. Again Good Job!
Houdini got tired of his mother in law getting involved in his relationship with his wife, decided to fake his death and moved back to Hungary. Till this day that was Houdini's greatest escape
On 1000 ways to die it says he got punched and then his appendix exploded and so he died and then once a few years ago I saw something saying that he was bit by a Brazilian wandering spider and he died from that
thank you simon for this channel, i am amazed and greatly appreciative of the many things you have covered. this topic really gave me new insight. it makes me question many other things i have spent last 40 yrs i have accepted as ''fact''
There is a very strong contention that Harry Houdini did not make the first slight in Australia. The followoing is a quote from Wikipedia "Colin Defries (1884-?) was an English racing driver and pilot who made his first powered aeroplane flight over Australia on 9 December 1909"
I knew all of this information. I learned about it in the book “Who was Harry Houdini?”. In fact, I’ve known about how he really died since I was in the fifth grade.
5:19 he forgot to stipulate "and only" for the time he would attempt to make contact. but then again he may have thought of that and realized it would break the trick. he wasn't barnam, but i'm sure he understood that the show must go on ;P
even in the early 1940's peritonitis was usually fatal, my grandfather died after an accident at his sawmill caused intestinal damage which led to peritonitis; many years later when i had a burst appendix i was saved by penicillin
How about a video on how scientists came up with the idea of distilling petroleum into various products and how early was petroleum actually widely used?
Could you please do a video about the old stuntman/silent film star Harold Lloyd. The man was a supernova in his day and it would be interesting to see you guys take on him. Excellent channel. Feels like I have always been subscribed.
That's so funny. Just yesterday, I saw Houdin mentioned in a video, and I've been wondering since then if Houdini's name was related to his. I wasn't actually thinking about it when I clicked on this video, though, and it was so funny that it was the last bonus fact lol. I was like "oh yeah! I was just thinking about that!" Lol.
My appendix erupted I was in the hospital for two weeks and I do not know how he was able to try to perform his magic show act because that is a terrible pain .
Simon, you didn't finish. What did the surgeons do? Did they use a peritoneal drain (such techniques were used since the 19th century) or lavage in the attempt to save Houdini from the affects of a ruptured appendix? Or did they just give up once they found out the appendix had ruptured?
Could you please also use Celsius and metric system together with the Fahrenheit and U.S. measurements on your videos like many other fact channels on RUclips do nowadays? That would be great for the international audience.
Hi Simon Whistler, This is a pretty exciting video I have to say, and since you guys are informative and well-detailed, I have a question I want to ask. Can you talk about a disorder that is known as PANDAS (Pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections) and why is it so controversial? Thank you for your time reading this comment and pleases let me know what you think.
Now that you know the truth about Houdini's death check out this video and find out about The Bizarre Hollywood Phenomenon of “Twin Films”:
ruclips.net/video/nfe40-wfdCs/видео.html
Lol dude u have 10 likes while others have way more lool
Would you please answering a question that I have really been wanting to know since I was a small kid. The king cobra shows that are in India. I was about 7 or 8 when I watched the King Cobra show with my parents. Now I am 43 and still haven't found a clear cut answer. Do they defang them or somehow take their venom glands out? I've been told that they just milk them all before the show. But it doesn't take much venom to either kill or make you wish that you were dead. I watched one of the guys doing the show get bit in the face. I'm not asking for a video, I'm just looking for an answer. Thank you very much.
Wow do you ever talk fast. But great video thanks
Turns out Houdini faked his death, shaved his head and is now explaining how he died
dopdog 456 LMAO
I don’t think he has a beard...
Deserves more likes
Something Physical It’s a joke :/
@@exicutioner161 grow a beard
So, today I found out Houdini didn't die from a punch, but from basic appendicitis. What a mundane way to go for such a badass.
back then appendicitis was much more common, and misdiagnosed, therefore dangerous/life threatening, but I certainly agree Paul.
David Pirtle very true..
Not if you've ever had, or seen someone who had untreated appendicitis, and most likely (in Houdini's case) full blown sepsis... It's pretty manageable/preventable now since decent medical care is just a 911 call away for most people, and most take it at the sign of SERIOUS pain, and we have antibiotics and good pain meds, but untreated it's kinda like having your stomach ripped out through both your side AND butt... WHILE you have the flu... because your blood is literally contaminated with your poo...
And he had that, AND a broken ankle, when he showed up to do his job, and still took a "punch me in the gut" challenge, from someone 30 years younger, just for bragging rights, and THEN was like, "Nah, I'm fine, time to work"...
And afterward, STILL didn't want his wife to take him to the hospital, because he was like, "I'll be fine"... until she cursed him out enough to call his own doc, who said "freaking go" and he was like "OK fine, whatever will shut you BOTH up"
Smartest decisions ever made? Prolly not, knowing what we know now...
But that's pretty damned badass if you ask me...
What our narrator Simon Whistler fails to mention, is that it wasn't just any punch. It was the five finger death punch. And Houdini is such a badass, because he didn't die instantly from the punch, but it did rupture his appendix. The appendix does take time to rightly shore up before withstanding such a blow, which -like was said- Houdini wasn't quite prepared for.
Today I found out what "Mundane" means. Thanks
Odd, I never heard the died in the water trick rumor. I'd always heard it was from the punch.
Depends on when you heard the "rumor" which was not so much a rumor, as people thinking the fictional depiction of his death in a film was based on actual history, which it wasn't (to the film's defense, it was believed by many that he died that way at the time the film was made, and the filmmakers chose to depict the common belief rather than research the actual historical facts. Wouldn't be the first or last film to ever do such.) These days a lot less people have seen or even heard of that film, so more people believe his cause of death to be a lot closer to what it actually was.
I never even heard about the punch until this video. I thought he died in a water tank trick.
Me too.
Im smarter than you guys I knew he died by punch he refused to get surgery so when he finally got surgery it was to late si then he was fighting it off then he said to his brother I can't fight any more than died
It is from the punch
I remember 10-15 years ago watching an actual TV documentary stating that Houdini died via accidental drowning during one of his acts. It's crazy how far misinformation can reach..
I watched it too!
Those TV documentaries still love to say Jimi Hendrix died of a heroin overdose. Well I know they used to, haven't watched one in at least 12-15 years. There is no truth on TV so I gave it up.
Uraneum Have you ever listened to political news?
Uraneum The Mandela Effect
@@SubPablum 😱he died from what??
I’m interested in Whitehead’s reaction to the initial kerfluffal. I would have felt awful if it were me...hopefully he was able to deal with the whole thing more sensibly than I would have.
rubymimosa Me as well. I’d feel crappy.
I feel bad for him, but if it's any consolation Houdini would have likely died either way, since he refused medical treatment even when doctors made it clear he urgently needed it.
There's some evidence Whitehead was a true believer (or wide eye in the parlance of the time) in the spiritualist movement. It's possible the attack was meant to seriously hurt Houdini.
Nah he definitely went around bragging he killed him
As a non-native speaker, I initially gasped at kerfluffal being a real word. Turns out, you just misspelled kerfuffle.
Houdini didin't die, he escaped.
Hah
houdini did die at october 31,1926
look it up on google
You hear that sound? It's the sound of the joke going over Ahmed Ziad's head.
thatisjustgreat you suck
To sum it up:
One PUUUNNNCHHH
Justin Y. What I was thinking! 😂🤣🤣
unlike saitama, that punch dealt poison damage
Justin Y. TO SUM IT UP, BOTS
One punch my ass. He should have listened to the doctors he paid to look at him and told him "go to a hospital". He was told that DAYS before he finally went. It was a very stupid thing to do.
Justin Y. NOOOOO
Houdini is a legend he even escaped life
How does this not have 100k likes
So whoever commits suicide is a legend
@@billz4692 🤭😆😂🙃
😐😂😂😂
@@vixlqq638 he didn't commit suicide, I'm sure he wanted to continue living. Sure his stubbornness ultimately lead to his death but that's much different than suicide.
So stubberness killed him.
Yup
P K stubbornness *
That kills alot of people.
Jones Dakota, um he really was an athlete who did amazing things. He really believed in himself. He did incredible things during his lifetime. He did admit to his brother the day before he died, He said I’m tired of fighting Dash, I think this is going to get to me.
Or work ethic.
I wonder if a mistrust of hospitals and doctors is common in Hungarian culture. My grandma was Hungarian and did not go to the doctor at all in the last 60 years of her life. She lived into her 90's, but medical treatment could have helped her live longer (she died of skin cancer that she had home treated for about 20 years as it slowly worsened). Of course, a sample of two is much to small to draw any conclusions.
My Grandma is Hungarian also (still alive). I wouldn't say she mistrusts hospitals, but she is definitely indifferent to seeking professional medical treatment when she should. She always says she has gypsy blood, and I think that nomadic, self-sufficient attitude has some genetic basis among Hungarians. They are always looking to keep on the move, and always rely on themselves first and foremost. The idea of being stuck in a bed with nurses and doctors tending to them is very unpleasant.
My grandma on father's side mistrusted doctors and she was Maltese. She died when 87 when her grandniece was getting married- she just gave up on life.
She was Maltese by birth and Australian by naturalisation.
I'm Hungarian. It's common that especially older men don't seek medical help even if needed. But I think it's the same elsewhere. My grandfather only went to the hospital when he had final stadium cancer already.
Andrea B En Magyar vagyok, és utálom az orvosokat, LOL.
“You could have killed me slugging me in the gut like that.....that’s how Houdini died ya know”
-John Candy
“Planes,Trains & Automobiles”
“Ironic, he could save other's from death, but not himself."
Is it possible to learn this power?...
“ Not from a Jedi "
Great video Simon and TIFO crew. As always educational without being boring. Really enjoy this channel. *:-)*
You're very welcome :-)
„A fever of about 102-110...“
Me: wtf oh my god
„...fahrenheit“
Me: oh
No pun intended, but this hits a bit close to home.
3 years ago my appendix ruptured, only without most of the common symptoms. I wasn't feverish, and the pain wasn't that bad. The symptoms were more like an impacted bowel.
This started on a Thursday, but I didn't go to the ER until Sunday when I finally had a fever and the pain wasn't subsiding. So I walked over there (it's 4 blocks away).
The doctors were not 100% sure when exactly my appendix had gone kerblammo, so after the scans and bloodwork came back they told me surgery needed to happen immediately because I was septic.They all seemed surprised that I walked in there and more so that I was walking around for at least a day, possibly 3 like that.
Sufficed to say they got in there in time to clean out the remnants of my appendix and stitch up the hole before it killed me.
I was in the hospital for a week afterwards while they pumped antibiotics and fluids in to get my white blood cell count down and deal with the dehydration. They all but ran out of places to take blood from.
This was a few days before Trevor Noah's appendix ruptured and he discharged himself to do the Daily Show. My doctors were not about to let me out apparently. To be fair, he got operated on either just after or right before his ruptured. My infection had way more time to setup shop.
Once discharged I was basically confined to bed for a month.
How is this a pun
@@nizzfizz9505 the pun is the first sentence... hits close to home. Houdini was hit and then died and the story hit close to home meaning that it reminded him of his appendicitis experience like Houdini.
@@sueme1954 sorry yeah I was a dumbass back when I posted this don't worry
You can't escape death.
Even Jeebus couldn't \ #atheism
I guess you could say... *takes off sunglasses* he escaped LIFE o.o
It’s a small sentence... but a really and scary one😕
isnt death itself an escape?
Appendicitis. Huh. Especially weird for someone you would have thought had to have a badass way to die
He got punched in the stomach so hard that died, on a bet, for no money. That's pretty hard core.
Hard core stupid!
Same goes for Bruce Lee, the god of martial arts dying in his sleep from brain swelling.
@Laser325 Appendicitis? Harry died of "peritonitis", did you not hear that? Two different things. If you catch the flu develops into pneumonia and die, you died of pneumonia not the flu. Yeah and at the end the movie a Psychic gave his widow Beth the secrete message Harry said he would communicate if there was life after death. You believe that really happened?
I had peritonitis almost 2 years ago after my appendix ruptured. It was definitely an experience to remember...
*walks up to the worlds most famous and talented escape artist as he's trying to relax with a broken ankle, proceeds to punch him multiple times in the abdomen, weeks later receive news of his death* "Aw, what a shame. I punched that guy once."
I've never heard that Houdini died in a water tank trick. I still haven't watched the video yet but as I understand it Houdini died after being sucker-punched in either the gut or the kidney, something like that.
The dying in a water tank was from a movie. Because dying due to being to stubborn to go to a hospital wasn't as dramatic.
Incredible, not just that Houdini died from a ruptured appendix before the days of antibiotics, but that my FATHER survived from a ruptured appendix in 1922 when he was thirteen! Thank you God!
Thank his surgeon.
His surgeon left a remarkable scar that always scared me when I was little. I guess he knew he had to get in there quickly. The poor kid did almost die and spent 3 months in the infirmary and had to learn to walk again. I told my grandboys and they were duly amazed and thankful. There are both thirteen. All would have been for naught ... but God.
Fuck you, what did your dad do to improve mankind like Houdini?
F*** ____? So eloquent. You don't even KNOW me. Wouldn't YOU like to know what my father did? I'm sure he did more than YOU ever dreamed of doing. You may "insult" me but you better leave my Italian father out of it! ;-)
Wow, Mr. Hamm, who pissed in your Corn Flakes?
"Double Indemnity" sounds like an awesome cop procedural!
Isaac Watt There is a pretty great film noir with that title.
Ariel_Grey29 That's the freaking joke!
The real shocker is an honest insurance company.
I have read several biographies of Houdini. One well researched enough to explain how many of Houdini's challenge excapes were done (he carried a shop in his private car and modified them when, as he required, the challenge device was left on display overnight), states that the blow was by a reporter on the train, that Houdini was distracted and didn't realize he had just given permission to hit him, therefore not tightening up. Also that the blow agrivated the about to burst appendix. Another account with medical consultation says that Houdini did reach the hospital on time but refused surgery. Also you have one slight error. Houdini believed absolutely in spirits. He was lost under the frozen Detroit river when a chain broke. He believed that his mother's voice led him to the hole in the ice just after she died. His anti-spiritist activity was anger at not finding a single one who was not a fake. He was an expert at seances and spirit cabinets having been one of the best Mentalists of his time. By the way his straight jacket and prison excapes were real made possible by skill and much practice.
KNOWLEDGE
Oh? I thought it was common to know that Houdini died from a punch to the abdomen by one of his fans.
It would be awfully ironic to have died in a water tank.
That's always what I heard as well, but then again, I read about the more-or-less correct version from some series of biography books aimed at kids, and had never heard of the movie which portrayed the water tank legend. Either way, shitty way to go.
Andrew Kovant you got dat right
Houdini's brother Ted (Dash to family and friends),was also a magician/ escape artist performing under the name HARDEEN. Harry and Ted performed on vaudeville as the Houdini Brothers early in their careers. Ted is the founder of the Magicians Guild as well as known for creating several famous escapes.
DenseAlloy His name was not Ted it was Theo. He was never known as Ted.
well researched. unbiased. My grandfather survived a ruptured appendix...
Never heard of the water tank story, only ever heard of the short version said on here.
Blah blah, no shit, it was a clickbait trap.
Doubt it was clickbait as such, probably more the assumption that people old enough to have had watched the movie had about his death. Oddly enough, the younger ones of us (relatively speaking, anyhow, I turn 40 in two weeks) who had heard about his demise generally got the more-or-less correct version of events.
The punch/drowning story comes from the 1953 movie about him, with Tony Curtis as Houdini.
I just watched that movie and I am talking out of my arse.
I actually suffered two days after my appendix burst before seeing a doctor. By then it had also progressed to peritonitis, because… well, untreated ruptured appendicitis does that. Even with modern medicine, I ended up spending a month in the hospital, without eating or drinking anything, and getting everything through IV fluids.
As a result, it’s pretty hard for me to ever forget how Houdini died, because… well, clearly, I almost went out the same way. There but for antibiotic go I, and all.
"multiple organ failure as a result of septic shock"
Thank you. I genuinely love when you folks clear up Urban Legends. I always heard growing up that he died from a punch to the belly. But supposedly HH would fill his belly with air prior to underwater acts for two reasons: 1)to swell his body up as to make any ropes or chains around him looser after burping.
2)He would belch/burp air and somehow breathe it. Also, for added effect, he would let out air bubbles for the crowd to see and the sheer volume of belly and lung air would build suspense in onlookers.
Anyhow, the rumor went that his belly was pumped with air like this when he received a flurry of blows and blew out a valve( for ignorance of a better term) in his throat. My father used to stay underwater for 5 minutes somehow(probably practice) and he was the purveyor of this myth. Thanks again for clearing it up.
I almost did not watch because I knew how Houdini died, it turned out I did not. Thank you.
Well, I'm watching this in the hospital areter having my appendix removed
Hope you didn't leave the hospital the way he did.
I'm totally thrilled that this video didn't parrot off the usual urban legend of Houdini's appendicitis being directly caused by the blows he received to his abdomen. When I saw the title of this video, I cringed in anticipation of hearing this oft-repeated load of malarky. Kudos to the writer of this video for actually getting it right! Yes, Houdini did die of appendicitis...but it wasn't caused by the punches. Appendicitis isn't caused by physical blows....but I agree that Houdini most likely brushed off the pain, likely blaming it on those punches. Would he have sought medical attention had it not been for that incident? That is up for debate...though I do think it did at least play a role in his ultimately fatal decision.
Another creepy fact about his last days in hospital... back then, it was customary for doctors not to let their patients know they were going to die.... so in keeping with that tradition, Houdini's doctor convinced him that he will recover, knowing full well he had only days to live.... and so up until the end, Houdini really did think he was going to make it through unscathed. Call me a coward, but I think I'd prefer not knowing of my imminent death!
Its a way to give the sick person hope, though personally id prefer knowing the truth
But, HOUDIN-I *does* mean "like Houdin" or "of Houdin" in Hungarian...
He said that houdini was told it was French and he also said that it wasn't true.
Hence the "but" at the start of the sentence. It is not true if the sample language is french but is if it's hungarian.
I knew about the APPENDIX THINGY.
Did NOT know bout the rest!
Great VID- thank you! Abba cadabra
I've NEVER heard the drowning version... I've always been told the thing about him getting punched before he could prepare himself, causing shit with his organs..... What
I've enjoyed your channel for a long while, but rarely comment. the content here is ALWAYS VARIABLE, and completely accurate/compelling. just a marvelous job. I thank you.
I think the word you meant was VERIFIABLE not Variable.
@@etamommy Nope. My next words were: "And completely accurate" described that. I used the word "variable" to bring light to the complexity of his content.
Ok, Tymesho. Thanks for the clarification. Makes sense. I guess when I think of content being variable I tend to think in terms of quality but you evidently are writing in terms of the vast variety of topics covered. @@tymesho
@@etamommy Indeed! Also, please don't mistake my response to you as being rude. (Others/friends and family have told me so.) I tend to be short with responses, of which I'm working on, lol. Isn't this a remarkable channel though? ~Best
Imagine the physician's reaction if he had somehow made that appendix disappear instead, replacing it with the plant from his performance.
XD
Archer already taught me this.
_THAT'S HOW HOUDINI DIED!!_
Aids
@@FishFreddy Nooooo, why do you always say that!?
Cool. Never noticed Eddie Deezen's name in the credits before. And yes, it's Eugene from Grease.
Man dies on Halloween. And Bess could never communicate with him in the afterlife. Crazy.
houdini is quite the dapper looking fella
On Halloween 2026 I predict there will be a lot of people performing a seance trying to contact Houdini.
Houdini was a very Talented man it’s amazing how easily he would change his name in yjose days you could just do it at a whim it seems. Wasn’t a lot of paperwork to fill out or file.
Houdini is one of the few whose name is synonymous with his art, just like Einstein and Hawking are synonymous with intelligence and Hitler with dictatorship.
Can you do a video on R. Lee Ermey aka gunne. Rip gunne
kosrules just watch full metal jacket
And then he was buried in a grave topped with a statue of his own head, which has been stolen many times - he's still trying to escape!
It's a shame that Houdini, along with many others, had doubts about seeing doctors during this time period. Bing Crosby's favorite session guitarist, Eddie Lang, was another celebrity who feared doctors and put off seeking medical attention until he had no choice. Lang had his tonsils removed but never woke up.
Surgery is never a given, but back then it was much more hit or miss.
I love you Simon! You're so educational.
I can relate, only i was about 5 when i got thumped in the side and had to wait a day before my parents decide to go to the hospital to get my appendix out. The wound still pains to this day.
I live in Appleton Wisconsin!
Old news. Btw, you did such a great job on Sherlock Holmes on the fictional Bios. Could you do one on Hercle Pirero? Or mabey Horacio Hornblower?
Question - how did Simon end up in Czechia
Not too bad. I give you 85-90% accuracy. In high school I read every book available on the life of Houdini (Eric Weiss). A theory I read was that Houdini was busy in his dressing room preparing for the show. The husky college wrestler boxer came into his dressing room and asked Houdini the stomach strength question. Houdini said yes, still focusing on preparations turned to the college athlete, as the athlete gave him the heavy stomach punch. It was supposed to double over Houdini and drop him to the floor. The athlete apologized and Houdini stood back up and requested another punch, which he took ready. Houdini finishes his show and falls after passing the stage curtain. After doctors examine him etc. ~72 hours later he died.
Also Houdini(Eric Weiss) did under study with a circus magician where learned to tight rope along with swallowing small potatoes and bring them back up at will. Houdini also was a Pioneer of motion picture tricks at its inception just previous to film acting. Houdini was a tough guy for his day, practising ice baths for hours etc.
So I applaud you in the land of RUclips on accuracy without over embellishment. Again Good Job!
I had never actually heard the myth of this. actually knew the truth apparently, so was surprised.
Houdini got tired of his mother in law getting involved in his relationship with his wife, decided to fake his death and moved back to Hungary. Till this day that was Houdini's greatest escape
Hey Simon! You seem
to have
a lot more pauses
than usual. Like you're short of breath. Are you doing alright? Love this show!
Tomas Cartmill hemorrhoids acting up on him
It's simple,
magic.
On 1000 ways to die it says he got punched and then his appendix exploded and so he died and then once a few years ago I saw something saying that he was bit by a Brazilian wandering spider and he died from that
ARandomRUclipsr where’d you hear the spider one)
Antonio Diavolo ICR it was a long time ago
Another great video keep it up
thank you simon for this channel, i am amazed and greatly appreciative of the many things you have covered. this topic really gave me new insight. it makes me question many other things i have spent last 40 yrs i have accepted as ''fact''
Kevin G never heard of wiki?
There is a very strong contention that Harry Houdini did not make the first slight in Australia. The followoing is a quote from Wikipedia "Colin Defries (1884-?) was an English racing driver and pilot who made his first powered aeroplane flight over Australia on 9 December 1909"
I had a ruptured appendix last year. With peritonitis and sepsis. Nasty. I didn't die though. Luckily enough.
Harry is actually in my Family tree
WAIT WAAH_-
I knew all of this information. I learned about it in the book “Who was Harry Houdini?”. In fact, I’ve known about how he really died since I was in the fifth grade.
Listening to the old podcast the one after the Amsterdam trip. This video comes up 7th when I type in Houdini. Just so you know.
Is this the guy with the blue short in calisthenicmovements lmaoo
The knuckle sandwich he ate didnt sit well with his stomach
5:19 he forgot to stipulate "and only" for the time he would attempt to make contact. but then again he may have thought of that and realized it would break the trick. he wasn't barnam, but i'm sure he understood that the show must go on ;P
His message finally came thru the medium Arthur Ford.
He did things most people are terrified just thinking about. His bravery was unheard of.
"bravery" led to demise
even in the early 1940's peritonitis was usually fatal, my grandfather died after an accident at his sawmill caused intestinal damage which led to peritonitis; many years later when i had a burst appendix i was saved by penicillin
I knew this it was depicted in a biopic!
Definitely an intriguing man and as always a great video!
Wow... And to think I almost died at the age of 15 from a ruptured appendix. Same as Harry Houdini.
I had no idea Houdini was a pilot.
you could just type into google "how did houdini die"
and boom
appendicitis
These comments are completely true. Well done
How about a video on how scientists came up with the idea of distilling petroleum into various products and how early was petroleum actually widely used?
I just went to show and the guy tryed the water tank trick and he SURIVED
Could you please do a video about the old stuntman/silent film star Harold Lloyd. The man was a supernova in his day and it would be interesting to see you guys take on him. Excellent channel. Feels like I have always been subscribed.
That's so funny. Just yesterday, I saw Houdin mentioned in a video, and I've been wondering since then if Houdini's name was related to his. I wasn't actually thinking about it when I clicked on this video, though, and it was so funny that it was the last bonus fact lol. I was like "oh yeah! I was just thinking about that!" Lol.
.. And I just happened to reply to a comment yesterday that someone made about things they were thinking about popping up in videos lol..
My appendix erupted I was in the hospital for two weeks and I do not know how he was able to try to perform his magic show act because that is a terrible pain .
Simon, you didn't finish. What did the surgeons do? Did they use a peritoneal drain (such techniques were used since the 19th century) or lavage in the attempt to save Houdini from the affects of a ruptured appendix? Or did they just give up once they found out the appendix had ruptured?
Thanks Simon 😀😀😀
People still don't know the truth about Harry Houdini's death? I've know this since I was kid, and I'm 35 now. Very strange.
The Rooster i know right
The Rooster I've read biographies of him but don't remember the appendicitis.
Strange, cause I knew about it when I first heard of Houdini in a PBS documentary in the early '90s here in America.
Obviously I should remember that, but I don't. It is strange.
It's all good. Now we all know. :)
Shoutout to my hometown!!!!!!
I live in Appleton Wisconsin and never knew that
My great grandparents lived in appleton, long after his death though
i am gasping hering the voice
Houdini grew up in Appleton Wisconsin. They say that his first trick was...
escaping Appleton Wisconsin.
Could you please also use Celsius and metric system together with the Fahrenheit and U.S. measurements on your videos like many other fact channels on RUclips do nowadays? That would be great for the international audience.
Hi Simon Whistler,
This is a pretty exciting video I have to say, and since you guys are informative and well-detailed, I have a question I want to ask. Can you talk about a disorder that is known as PANDAS (Pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections) and why is it so controversial?
Thank you for your time reading this comment and pleases let me know what you think.
Am I the only person that thought this when I saw the guy in the video
*_HEY V-SAUCE, MICHAEL HERE_*
You're a wizard Harry!
Why do I remember Houdini dying doing a magic trick underwater this must be another Mandela effect 😳
If Houdini was so stubborn, then it’s likely even if it is possible to communicate from the dead, he wouldn’t because he was a debunker before.
He was a debunker because of his anger at only finding frauds while trying to contact his mother.
Never heard that rumor before
Planes Trains and Automobiles brought me here😂
Lol