40 Interesting Facts About Magicians

21-25 Magician Facts

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21. Charles, Prince of Wales, is a member of the “Magic Circle”, an exclusive club for magicians. He gained entry in 1975 with his “Cups and Balls” performance. This routine is considered by many to be a sign of an accomplished magician, as it uses many different techniques at once. – Source

22. Ralf Bialla was a German magician who was famous for performing the “bullet catch,” using his teeth. He was seriously injured nine times, which caused constant dizziness, which eventually led to his death when he fell off of a cliff. – Source

23. Legendary magician Harry Houdini was the first person to fly a plane in Australia. – Source

24. Matthias Buchinger was born without arms or lower legs and was a famous magician, illustrator, and master engraver, and had 14 children by 8 wives with up to 70 mistresses. – Source

25. Aleister Crowley, a ceremonial magician and founder of his own occultist religion, was voted the 73rd greatest Briton of all time. – Source

26-30 Magician Facts

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26. In 1990 Amateur magician Joseph W. “Amazing Joe” Burrus, during an act, was handcuffed and shackled, placed in a plexiglass coffin of his own design, laid 6 feet underground, and buried under some seven tons of concrete. The coffin could not support the weight and Burrus was crushed to death. – Source

27. There actually was a society dedicated to exposing fraudulent magicians. Harry Houdini even served as President. – Source

28. Two magicians spent 21 months posing as psychics to fool a research team. Their “powers” allowed them to stop digital clocks (by putting them in a microwave), move small objects (by blowing on them) and create photographic images (by spitting on a camera lens). – Source

29. The 1989 Super Bowl halftime show featured “the world’s largest card trick” performed by Elvis Presto, an Elvis-impersonating magician. – Source

30. The earliest known reference to Jesus was referred to as a “magician”. – Source

31-35 Magician Facts

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31. Actor Neil Patrick Harris is also a magician and is the current president of the Academy of Magical Arts. – Source

32. There is a theme park in China where professionally trained magicians and acrobats perform every single day, even when temperatures drop to below freezing and no one shows up to watch. – Source

33. Johnny Carson was an amateur magician, and when Uri Geller appeared on the Tonight Show, Carson made sure he could not perform any simple conjuring tricks. As a result, Geller’s ‘psychic’ powers completely deserted him. – Source

34. In 2009 Nigerian police arrested a goat because locals believed a magician turned themselves into a goat after stealing a car. – Source

35. The first ‘hacker’ was a magician in 1903 who hacked into a demonstration of wireless telegraphy to demonstrate that the idea of “secure and private communication” was foolish. – Source

36-40 Magician Facts

36. Magician and skeptic James Randi created an organization in that will give $1,000,000US to anyone who can demonstrate a paranormal ability. – Source

37. Muhammad Ali isn’t just one of the greatest boxers of all time. He’s also a magician, talented enough to earn David Copperfield’s praise in 2012. – Source

38. Medival-era magicians used to sprinkle celery seeds in their boots to help them fly. – Source

39. There is an award called the Merlin Award that is given to the best magician of the year. – Source

40. Magicians must take a magician’s oath in order for another magician to teach them their tricks. The Oath taker is required to never reveal how a trick works to a non-magician. This is so that it won’t ruin the illusion and so that it doesn’t put a fellow magician out of work. – Source