Houdini changed his name to Harry Houdini in 1893, when he became a "professional" magician. After many different failures in the beginning of his career, he finally found success with his brother "Dash" as "The Brothers Houdini". But when he married Wilhelmina Beatrice Rahner, she replaced his brother as his assistant. They called themselves, "The Houdini's".

Houdini and his wife traveled the world with much success and criticism. In 1904, his wife and he settled down in New York. Some of his most famous acts are:

The Mirror Handcuff Challenge

The Milk Can

Suspended Straitjacket escapes

The Chinese Water Torture Cell

Debunking Spiritualists

He became involved in aviation in 1909. Though this was a short lived dream. He acted in many movies and was definitely a ladies man. His first movie was Merveilleux Exploits du Celebre Houdini a Paris. He also started his own film production company called "Houdini Picture Corporation". Also he started a film lab. business called The Film Development Corporation or the FDC. All of those business ventures were short lived. Other movies include:

Special effects consultant on: The Mysteries of Myra

The Master Of Mystery

The Grim Game

Terror Island

The Man From Beyond

Haldane of the Secret Service

After the end of his acting career, his mother died. This launched the beginning of the debunking of mediums, psychics, and other spiritual "fakes". He exposed many frauds like Mina Crandon. This debunking lost him the friendship of widely known author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. He was a member of the Scientific American Committee, which had a cash reward for anyone who could prove that they could show their supernatural abilities. (That reward, thanks to men like Houdini, was never claimed.)

Houdini was also the president of Martinka & Co. This is still today the oldest American magic company. He also was the president of the Society of Magicians (or S. A. M.) from 1917 until his death. He also wrote many books (or helped to write or publish)which included:

Handcuff Secrets

A Magician Among the Spirits

The Right Way to do the Wrong

The Unmasking of Robert Houdin

Magical Ropes Ties and Escapes

Miracle Mongers and Their Methods

Houdini's Paper Magic

Under The Pyramids

Houdini's last performance was at the Garrick Theatre in Detroit. The date was October 24, 1926. He was running a fever of 104 F. He made his performance, painfully suffering with acute appendicitis the whole time. After the performance, he was hospitalized at Grace Hospital. There, he was pronounced dead at 1:26 p.m. in room 401 on October 31, 1926, age 52.

He was buried on November 4, 1926 in Queens at Machpelah Cemetery. The crest of the Society of American Magicians is inscribed on his grave. Each year, there is a "Broken Wand Ceremony" held at his gravesite on the anniversary of his death. Houdini's wife, not being Jewish, was unfortunately buried in 1943 in a different cemetery, Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne.

After his death, afraid that spiritualists would act like they were contacting him after death, he left his wife a secret code. The code consisted of ten words taken from a letter written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. His wife held yearly séances on Halloween for ten years straight, with no success of contact. But, this tradition is now held by Sidney H. Radner. Needless to say, he was a great and inspiring man who many, like myself, look up to. He is greatly missed in the world, but will never be forgotten.

(This information is credited to/taken from Wikipedia, pbs.org & houdinitribute.com - If there are any errors in this information, it is due to incorrect information provided by my sources.)