The World’s Greatest Magicians

Magicians, mentalists, illusionists—call them whatever you like—have been around for thousands of years, going all the way back to the days of ancient Romans and Egyptians. But in this article, we’re looking at some of the greatest magicians that have ever walked the face of the Earth. Some you may have already heard of, others not so much. Here are the top five magicians the world has ever seen.\r \r 1. Harry Houdini\r \r To kick off this list is none other than the infamous Harry Houdini who adopted his stage name in honor of one of France’s greatest magicians, who you will learn of in just a bit. When you think of magic, his name is the first to pop into anyone’s mind. To this day, Houdini is renowned for his elaborate escape tricks which started with mere handcuffs. The complexity of his escapes grew with each performance: by far his most famous one was the Chinese Water Torture Cell in which he was chained and handcuffed then suspended upside down and placed into a water-filled tank. \r \r 2. Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin\r \r And there you have it, the man who served as inspiration for Harry Houdini’s stage name. Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin was one of France’s top magicians who transformed the way magic was viewed. Many people initially believed that magic was nothing more than a distraction for the lower classes, but Robert-Houdin changed all this when he started performing for wealthy aristocrats including none other than Emperor Napoleon III and King Louis Phillippe. His preferred outfit, evening dress with a black tailcoat, gloves and a walking cane which later became the stereotypical magician look.\r \r 3. The Great Lafayette\r \r Today, the Great Lafayette’s popularity is generally eclipsed by that of his contemporary Houdini, even though he was much more successful back then. By far, his most popular trick was “The Lion’s Bride,” which entailed Lafayette switching places with an actual lion, a performance which was entwined with several dancers, jugglers, contortionists and fire-eaters. However, it was this illusion that led to his untimely demise on May 9, 1911, when a broken lamp sent the Empire Palace Theater up in flames. His body was later recovered along with nine other victims.\r \r 4. The Herrmann Family\r \r The Herrmann’s are often dubbed as the “first family of magic,” starting with Samuel Herrmann who only performed tricks for his family as a hobby. His son Compars Herrmann quickly picked up his father’s talents and went on to become a successful magician in his own right. The older brother later served as a mentor for his younger brother Alexander whose popularity exceeded that of his brother's. Alexander continued performing until his sudden passing in 1896. His wife, Adelaide Scarcez, also had a knack for magic; she was later nicknamed the “Queen of Magic,” due to her 35-year-long as a top female magician. \r \r 5. Howard Thurston\r \r Like many older magicians, Howard Thurton was well-known during his time, but his fame has since been overshadowed by that of younger magicians such as Harry Houdini. He was the self-proclaimed “King of Cards,” due to his uncanny ability to summon cards that were selected by audience members. Another great trick of his was the “Levitation of Princess Karnac”, a skill that he learned from his mentor and one-time partner, Harry Kellar. And like most magicians, Thurston’s performances were accompanied by fancy and lavish showmanship filled with dancers, circus elements and even a full orchestra.