On October 31st 1826 the illusionist and stunt performer Harry Houdini died.

Houdini, whose initial claim to fame was as an escape artist, for which he is still known today, escaped from a variety of chains, ropes, handcuffs, straight-jackets and other things in frequently perilous situations, such as underwater and suspended from skyscrapers. These escape attempts were not the cause of his death, though.

Houdini also spent time debunking and exposing fake spiritualists and magicians.

His actual death was from peritonitis following a ruptured appendix. The death was accidental, as he was hit repeatedly in the stomach after being asked whether punches to the stomach did not hurt him before having time to prepare.

Image: By McManus-Young Collection (Library of Congress) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons (commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HarryHoudini1899.jpg)