Nationally recognized Harry Houdini expert John Cox discusses Houdini’s September 8, 1915, stunt in Kansas City. Before an audience of 5,000 people at 10^th and Main streets — adjacent to what is now the Central Library — he performed his first ever suspended straitjacket escape. He freed himself in under 20 seconds.

A leading authority on Houdini’s life and career, Cox writes the popular blog "Wild About Harry," which has more than 23 million page views. He's also the author of Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini, 1897-1899 and the forthcoming Handcuff King: The Conquests of Harry Houdini, 1900–1909, the first of a three-volume biography of Houdini scheduled for publication this fall.

Cox, who lives in Los Angeles, has lectured at The New York Historical Society, UCLA, The Magic Castle, and MAGIC Live, and has appeared in many television documentaries. He also regularly consults on Houdini-related projects. He received the 2023 Milbourne Christopher Ambassador of Magic Award and the 2025 New England Magic Collectors Association Founders Award.

The magician first visited Kansas City as a 12-year-old runaway. He formed a special connection with the city and returned throughout his career. On Sept. 11 at 2 p.m., the Society of American Magicians and the International Brotherhood of Magicians unveil a historic marker to commemorate Houdini’s straitjacket escape at 10th and Main streets.

Co-sponsored by the Society of American Magicians and the International Brotherhood of Magicians.