Famous Escapologists
Escapologist↕ | Country↕ | Active↕ | Signature Escape↕ | Known For↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harry Houdini | Hungary / United States | 1891-1926 | Chinese Water Torture Cell | The original and still most famous escape artist, handcuff king, straitjacket hangs over cities |
| Theodore Hardeen | Hungary / United States | 1890s-1945 | Straitjacket in full view | Houdini's brother and rival, popularized the open straitjacket escape, inherited the Houdini act |
| David Blaine | United States | 1997-present | Drowned Alive water sphere | Endurance stunts, buried alive, encased in ice, 44 days in a box above the Thames |
| Dorothy Dietrich | United States | 1970s-present | Straitjacket escape while hanging from a burning rope | First woman to catch a bullet in her teeth on TV, Houdini Museum co-founder |
| Dean Gunnarson | Canada | 1980s-present | Handcuffed in a coffin submerged in a river | Televised escapes in extreme cold, close-call near-death Winnipeg river escape |
| Norman Bigelow | United States | 1970s-2000s | Door of Death spike release | Dangerous blade-and-spike escapes, Houdini tribute performances |
| Murray Hatfield | Canada | 1980s-present | Buried alive in concrete | Large-scale illusions mixed with escapes, Canadian tour circuit |
| Jonathan Goodwin | United Kingdom | 2000s-present | Burning straitjacket hang upside down | Dynamo consultant, America's Got Talent: Extreme accident, ultra-high-risk stunts |
| Roslyn Walker | United Kingdom | 1970s-1990s | Underwater handcuff release | British Isles circuit stages, shows paired with classic illusions |
| Steve Baker | United States | 1960s-2016 | Mailbag escape | Guinness world records for handcuff escapes, called the King of Escapes in Las Vegas |
| Bill Shirk | United States | 1970s-present | Buried alive and strapped in a straitjacket | Midwestern radio personality turned escape artist, multiple Guinness entries |
| Rick Maisel | United States | 1980s-present | Underwater chain and padlock release | Texas-based stunt performer, televised straitjacket escapes |
| Alan Alan | United Kingdom | 1940s-2000s | Burning rope straitjacket hang | British escapologist who performed suspended escapes over London streets |
| Anthony Martin | United States | 1980s-present | Sky-dive handcuff escape | Escapes from aircraft mid-fall, multiple handcuff and chain records |
| Criss Angel | United States | 1990s-present | Straitjacket suspension over Las Vegas | Mindfreak series, large-scale televised escapes, Las Vegas residency spectacles |
Free to explore · No signup needed
Frequently asked questions
How is the Famous Escapologists list ranked?
The Famous Escapologists list is currently sorted by the source data's default ordering. Community voting is not enabled on this dataset.
How many entries are in this Famous Escapologists dataset?
This dataset contains 15 entries, each with multiple sortable, filterable columns. The full table is visible on this page and can be downloaded as a CSV, JSON, or Excel file.
Can I download the Famous Escapologists data?
Yes. The download buttons at the top of the page give you the full 15-row dataset as CSV, JSON, or Excel. Use of the data is permitted under a Creative Commons Attribution license — credit dtbse.com when you republish.
Related Datasets
More in People
Famous Classical Conductors
Karajan, Bernstein, Toscanini, Abbado — who owned the podium?
Famous Vikings
The legendary Norse raiders, explorers and kings — Ragnar, Leif Erikson, Harald Hardrada and the warriors who shaped the Viking Age.
History's Greatest Polymaths
Da Vinci, Franklin, Goethe, Ibn Sina - whose Renaissance brain sprawled across the most fields at the highest level?
Famous Philanthropists
Notable philanthropists and their contributions.
Famous Pirates
Notable pirates throughout history.
Famous Astronomers
Notable astronomers throughout history.
Nobel Peace Prize Winners
All Nobel Peace Prize laureates and organizations.
Chinese Emperors
From Qin Shi Huang to Puyi — the emperors who built, expanded, and eventually lost the longest continuous monarchy in history.
Female Monarchs Throughout History
The queens and empresses who shaped world history — from Cleopatra to Elizabeth I to Catherine the Great, who really wore the crown best?
Dutch Golden Age Painters
The masters of 17th-century Holland — Rembrandt, Vermeer and the artists who defined the Dutch Golden Age, but who really reigns supreme?
Greatest Mathematicians in History
Euler, Gauss, Newton, Ramanujan - whose proofs still astound mathematicians centuries later?
Virtuoso Violinists
Heifetz, Perlman, Hahn, Mutter — who owns the bow arm?