People in the News

Harry Houdini
Image courtesy of http://www.detnews.com

During the early 20th Century, magician, illusionist and escape artist Harry Houdini captivated audiences with his feats of magic and daring escapes from precarious situations. During World War I, Houdini made several "Cheer Up" performances in New York city as a means of boosting public morale during wartime. In 1917, Houdini first performs his death defying "Buried Alive" stunt, nearly suffocating, losing consciousness just after breaking the surface.

Honus WagnerImage courtesy of http://uploads.wikimedia.org

By the time World War I began, Honus Wagner had become one of the most renowned names in American Baseball, as well as one of the oldest players in the game. In 1914, Wagner became the second player to have 3000 successful hits in his career and in 1915 became the first player to hit 100 home runs during his career. Later, also in 1915, Wagner would become the oldest player to hit a grand slam, a record that he would hold for 70 years.

Charlie ChaplinImage courtesy of http://www.cornellcollege.edu

At the dawn of World War I, up-and-coming actor Charlie Chaplin was beginning to make his way into the film industry that he would eventually take by storm. In 1914 Chaplin stared in his debut film "Making a Living" before going on to wear the "tramp" costume that would become so closely associated with his early works. Before the end of World War I Chaplin would establish himself as one of the forefathers of comedic acting, pioneering the style of slapstick.