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15 Famous Magicians You Should Know About

Wonder is supreme and reality takes a bow in the world of magic. Guinness World Record holder David Copperfield makes the Statue of Liberty vanish and reappear in 1983. He chooses to walk through the Great Wall of China in 1986. How about him levitating over the Grand Canyon in 1984? The magic world is charming.

While still on magic, David Blaine sets a world record on April 12, 1999. He emerges alive after he is buried in a coffin underneath a 3-ton water-filled tank for seven days.

Furthermore, Hans Klok shows off his skill by bringing forth the FIFA World Cup Trophy from thin air during the 2006 FIFA World Cup. These actions show the diversity of the magic space and below are the stuntmen behind these enchanting acts. Learn about the prominent magicians throughout history below.

Here are the 15 Famous Magicians You Should Know About.

1. Harry Houdini

This magic man was born Erich Weisz in Hungary on March 24, 1874. He drew magical inspiration from French magician Robert-Houdin hence his pseudonym.

His recognition came through a ‘Handcuff’ stunt while on a Europe tour. While handcuffed, he challenged law enforcement to have him locked up. During this period around 1904, Daily Mirror a London-based newspaper put on a show for Houdini to escape special handcuffs. After an hour of suspense, he pulled through with the act.

Additionally, another of Houdini’s famous magical acts is a time he was buried alive forcing him to claw his way to the surface. Though he managed to reach the surface, he was in an almost breakdown state.

Because of his skill, he was honored to serve as the National President of the Society of American Magicians from 1917 up to 1926. During his leadership, the movement expanded and garnered high publicity. He also rooted out fraudulent artists and sued those who tried to dub his escape technique. He died on October 31, 1926, in Michigan aged 52 years.

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2. David Copperfield

He is one of the most commercially successful magicians in the world. The illusionist combines storytelling and magic. He prides himself in over 10 Guinness World Records.

Moreover, in the field of magic Copperfield is respected for acts like the disappearance of a Learjet in 1981. In 1983, he made the Statue of Liberty vanish and reappear. In 1984 he was able to levitate over the Grand Canyon and in 1986 he walked through the Great Wall of China.

To add on, he managed an escape from Alcatraz prison in 1987. He also caused the disappearance of an Orient Express dining car in 1991. The following year he flew for several minutes while on a stage performance. He was born in New Jersey on September 16, 1956.

3. Penn & Teller

The duo has performed magical acts together since the late 1970s. They have the strength of combining comedy with magic. While in action, Penn serves as the orator. Teller focuses on the performance most times keeping in touch with the audience through mimes and nonverbal communication.

The pair is famous for their Penn & Teller: Fool Us television show. This competition involves magicians performing in front of Penn & Teller and the winner is awarded. It premiered in London but all other seasons after that have been hosted in Las Vegas. Again, these magicians have made appearances on many stage and television shows. They are also known for their liberal stands and scientific skepticism.

4. David Blaine

This American magician is prominent for durational art where he has shown high stamina in enduring hardship. Further, he has set and broken world records in endurance performances. He doubles as an illusionist. Blaine was born in New York City on April 4, 1973.

The stuntman is headlined for endurance acts such as the April 1999 act where he was buried alive in an underground plastic box (coffin). The coffin was placed beneath a 3-ton water-filled tank and he stayed there for seven days.

Furthermore, on April 12, 1999, a crowd of onlookers about 75000 people showed up to witness Blaine make a world record for surviving such an ordeal. He is also celebrated for standing surrounded by a block of ice at Times Square in NYC for about 63 hours.

5. Derren Brown

He is a famed mentalist cum illusionist. He joined the magic performance arena in 1992. His first television show was called Derren Brown: Mind Control which he did in 2000. In this show, Brown proves his ability to expect as well as manipulate people’s reactions.

On top of that, in 2006 he did another show, Something Wicked This Way Comes which earned him a Laurence Olivier Award. In 2012 he was in the Svengali show that also secured him the latter award. Secret in 2019 was his first Broadway performance. He also authors books on the subject of magic. He was born in London on 27 February 1971.

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6. Dynamo

The British magician is popular by his stage name Dynamo but his official name is Steven Frayne. He rose to the spotlight in the UK and beyond through the Dynamo: Magician Impossible television show aired from July 2011 up to September 2014. It secured a win at the Broadcast Awards two years in a row, in 2012 and 2013.

Over and above that, one of his memorable acts is the stunt that was meant to introduce his TV show in 2011. Hence he walked on water across the River Thames near the parliamentary buildings in front of onlookers along Westminster Bridge. He was born in England on 17 December 1982.

7. Criss Angel

The International Magicians Society named Angel, Magician of the Decade in 2009. The following year the same society revealed him as the Magician of the Century.

What’s more, he is applauded for his performance on the Criss Angel Mindfreak reality television series. It broadcasted on A&E from 2005 up to 2010. The Criss Angel Believe live performance was also a hit. Besides he has starred in many shows like Spike TV’s series Criss Angel BeLIEve, NBC’s reality competition Phenomenon, and more. He hails from New York and celebrates his birthday on December 19, 1967.

8. Doug Henning

This Canadian magician was also known as an illusionist and escape artist. He is acclaimed for the 1974 Broadway performance, The Magic Show.

He also gained praise for Doug Henning’s World of Magic TV series hosted by media personality Bill Cosby. It premiered in December 1975 and ran through to 1982. His birthplace was in Canada, born on May 3, 1947, and died aged 52 years in California on February 7, 2000.

9. Juan Tamariz

A Spanish magician with great influence on card magic. He has been featured in various stage and television performances. One notable appearance was on NBC’s television series The World’s Greatest Magic in 1994. The series ran from 1994 up to 1998.

Tamariz has penned titles such as The Five Points in Magic, Verbal Magic, The Magic Rainbow, and others. He was born in Madrid on 18 October 1942.

10. Lance Burton

The stage magician is renowned for great skill in card manipulation. He joined the magic space in 1979 and retired in 2010 when he was 31 years old. Throughout his career, he boasts of performing in over 15,000 shows to a cumulative audience of over five million in Las Vegas alone.

Burton had the chance to perform on The Tonight Show ten times when Johnny Carson was the host. When Jay Leno took over hosting the show, he invited Burton to perform about ten return times. He has also performed on Craig Ferguson’s The Late Late Show. He was born in Kentucky on March 10, 1960.

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11. Siegfried & Roy

They grew up in Germany and met on a cruise ship. Later they relocated to the US and they became US citizens in 1988 through naturalization.

Furthermore, their early performances were done on ships, in European clubs as well as theaters. Their signature performance was the use of white lions or white tigers during their acts.

Subsequently, in 2003 Horn received a critical injury from a tiger while performing. This accident put an end to their performances. Siegfried was born on June 13, 1939, and he died aged 81 in Las Vegas on January 13, 2021. Roy was born on October 3, 1944, and his demise came when he was 75 years old in Las Vegas on May 8, 2020.

12. The Great Lafayette

He was an illusionist of German descent known by his stage name The Great Lafayette. But his formal reference was Sigmund Neuberger. He was famous for impersonating the Chinese magician Ching Ling Foo.

To add on, Neuberger also amused audiences with his quick-change tactics and dramatic illusions. This attracted a huge fan base and pushed him to become one of the best-paid magicians of his era. He was born in Germany on 25 February 1871 and passed on at the age of 40 years in Scotland on 9 May 1911.

13. Ricky Jay

A stage magician with a unique skill in card tricks and sleight of hand. He doubled as an actor and an author on the subject of magic. He was honored to be the first magician profiled in the PBS TV series, American Masters. Ricky was born on June 26, 1946, in New York City. He passed away in California aged 72 years on November 24, 2018.

14. Hans Klok

He is a Dutch magician cum illusionist. One of his international acclaims took place during the 2006 FIFA World Cup held in Germany. In front of a global audience of over 500 million soccer fans, he made the FIFA World Cup Trophy appear from nowhere enclosed in a glass cage. He hails from the Netherlands where he was born on 22 February 1969.

15. Cyril Takayama

He shares a Japanese descent from his father and a French Moroccan heritage from his mother. Yet he was born in Hollywood, California on September 27, 1974.

Moreover, he quit school in his teenage years and his parents forced him to return to Japan. Thus by the time he was 17 years, he met one of Japan’s business tycoons who allowed him to perform in his hotels. So Cyril ended up performing at weddings and parties until he began his stage magic show.

He has received several accolades. Such as the International Federation of Magic Societies (FISM) award in 1992 and 1994. Also, the Golden Lion Award in 2001 was issued at the Siegfried and Roy’s World Magic Seminar held in Las Vegas.

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These magicians have contributed to the magic world with their different styles of art. Thus they have left indelible marks throughout history to be referenced by generations on the subject of magic.