Mystery cloaked the life and performances of escape artist Harry Houdini—and it followed him into his death, perplexing experts for the past century.Houdini, a Hungarian born Erik Weisz, became one of the most famous magicians and vaudeville performers in history after immigrating with his family to the United States at 4.He died 100 years ago on Oct.31, 1926, at 52.His official cause of death was listed as peritonitis, an infection caused by a ruptured appendix.
But since the day he died, theories about alternative causes have lived on.WATCH: HARRY HOUDINI RETURNS FROM THE GRAVE IN AI-GENERATED FOX NATION SERIES 100 YEARS AFTER HIS DEATHHarry Houdini poses with a chain of handcuffs in 1899.(Courtesy of Roger Dreyer)Some say a surprise punch to his stomach caused deadly appendicitis to the man who kept himself in peak physical condition.Others insist he suffered from an intestinal blockage.Some theorize that he was killed by people working as spirit mediums.
He had been exposing them as frauds just before his death.One of the most widespread myths was caused by a 1953 film in which Houdini was portrayed as unable to escape Water Torture Cell in time to save his own life."There’s plenty of room for speculation, for conspiracy theories, and so it continues," Houdini historian and biographer John Cox told Fox News Digital."It continues to this day."Houdini's story returns in the new three-part Fox Nation series "Houdini: Back from the Dead," where artificial intelligence helps him appear to sit down for a modern-day interview to recount his struggles, relationships and legendary feats.Harry Houdini appears to wave in this image taken from a teaser trailer for the new Fox Nation series, "Houdini: Back from the Dead." (Fox Nation/Screengrab)A key event in the timeline of Houdini’s death is the now-famous series of punches to his stomach on Oct.22, 1926.Nine days before Houdini died, a university student named J.
Gordon Whitehead visited the performer in his dres...