Harry Houdini, the most celebrated magician and escape artist of the 20th century, performed for the last time at a theater in Detroit on this day in 1926. Days before he had been punched in the stomach, and the blows ruptured his appendix. He fell ill on the train to Detroit, but decided to perform. Doctors at Grace Hospital operated on him, but to no avail. The burst appendix had poisoned his system, and he died on Halloween.