David Blaine facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Blaine
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Blaine in 2008
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David Blaine White
April 4, 1973 New York City, U.S.
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| Years active | 1997–present |
| Partner(s) | Alizée Guinochet (2008–2014) |
| Children | 1 |
| YouTube information | |
| Years active | 2005–present |
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| Subscribers | 1.84 million |
| Total views | 326 million |
| Subscriber and view counts updated as of January 27, 2024. | |
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David Blaine (born David Blaine White on April 4, 1973) is a famous American magician and performer known for his amazing stunts. He was born in New York City and loved magic from a young age. He became well-known in 1997 with his TV show David Blaine: Street Magic on ABC. He also appeared in other specials like Magic Man, David Blaine: Real or Magic (2013), Beyond Magic (2016), and The Magic Way (2020).
Blaine is famous for his dangerous challenges. In 2008, he set a new Guinness World Record by holding his breath for 17 minutes and 4 seconds. He also wrote a book called Mysterious Stranger: A Book of Magic (2002). This book shares his life story and teaches magic tricks.
Contents
- Early Life and Magic Beginnings
- Amazing Stunts and TV Shows
- Street Magic (1997) and Magic Man (1998)
- Buried Alive (1999)
- Frozen in Time (2000)
- Vertigo (2002)
- Above the Below (2003)
- Drowned Alive (2006)
- Revolution (2006)
- Guinness World Records (2008)
- Dive of Death (2008)
- What Is Magic? (2010)
- Electrified: One Million Volts Always On (2012)
- Real or Magic (2013)
- Beyond Magic (2016)
- The Magic Way (2020)
- Ascension (2020)
- Do Not Attempt (2025)
- Live Shows and Residencies
- Other Work
- Personal Life
- See also
Early Life and Magic Beginnings
David Blaine White was born on April 4, 1973, in Brooklyn, New York City. His mother, Patrice White, was a teacher. His father, William Perez, was a Vietnam War veteran.
When David was four, he saw a magician on the subway. This moment made him interested in magic for his whole life. He grew up with his mother and went to a Montessori school in Brooklyn. Later, they moved to Little Falls, New Jersey. He attended Passaic Valley Regional High School there. When he was 17, he moved to Manhattan, New York City.
Amazing Stunts and TV Shows
David Blaine is known for performing incredible and often dangerous stunts. Many of these were shown in his TV specials.
Street Magic (1997) and Magic Man (1998)
On May 19, 1997, Blaine's first TV special, David Blaine: Street Magic, aired on ABC. Famous magicians like Penn Jillette said it was groundbreaking. Blaine wanted to bring magic back to how it was long ago. Time magazine said his calm style made people even more amazed.
In Magic Man, which aired on January 16, 1998, Blaine traveled across the country. He surprised people in places like Atlantic City and New York City. A small team filmed him with handheld cameras. USA Today called Blaine the "hottest name in magic."
Buried Alive (1999)
On April 5, 1999, Blaine performed a stunt called "Buried Alive." He was sealed in an underground plastic box for seven days. The box was under a heavy, water-filled tank. This happened across from Trump Place in New York City.
On the last day, April 12, many news teams were there. Construction workers removed gravel, and a crane lifted the tank. Blaine came out and spoke to the crowd. He said he saw a vision of people from all backgrounds coming together. BBC News noted that he had outdone Harry Houdini, who had planned a similar feat.
Frozen in Time (2000)
On November 27, 2000, Blaine tried to stand in a huge block of ice in Times Square, New York City. This stunt was called Frozen in Time. He was lightly dressed and shivered before the ice blocks were placed around him. Tubes gave him air and water.
He stayed in the ice for 63 hours, 42 minutes, and 15 seconds. Chainsaws were used to get him out. He was taken to a hospital because doctors worried he might go into shock. The New York Times reported he looked very different when he came out. Blaine later said it took a month to recover. In 2010, another magician broke Blaine's record by staying in ice for 66 hours.
Vertigo (2002)
On May 22, 2002, Blaine was lifted by a crane onto a 100-foot (30 m) tall pillar. The pillar was only 22 inches (56 cm) wide in Bryant Park, New York City. He was not attached to the pillar, but he had handles to hold onto. He stayed on the pillar for 35 hours.
He ended the stunt by jumping onto a landing platform made of cardboard boxes. He got a mild concussion. Blaine later shared that he had strong visions during the last hours of this stunt.
Above the Below (2003)
On September 5, 2003, Blaine began a stunt where he was sealed inside a clear Plexiglas box. The box was 30 feet (9 m) in the air next to Potters Fields Park in London. It measured 3 feet (0.9 m) by 7 feet (2.1 m) by 7 feet (2.1 m). A webcam inside the box let people watch him.
The stunt lasted 44 days. During this time, Blaine only drank water and did not eat. Many people watched and talked about it. Even then-US president George W. Bush mentioned it in a speech. Some people threw food and other items at the box. One person was arrested for trying to cut his water supply.
BBC News reported that Blaine said he tasted "pear drops." Doctors said this taste happens when the body burns fat for energy. The stunt ended on October 19, and Blaine was very emotional. He was then taken to a hospital. A medical journal later wrote about his 44-day fast. They said that eating again after such a long fast was very risky.
Drowned Alive (2006)
On May 1, 2006, Blaine started his Drowned Alive stunt. He was submerged in a water-filled sphere for seven days. The sphere was 8 feet (2.4 m) wide and contained a special saltwater solution. This took place in front of the Lincoln Center in New York City. During the stunt, he had some kidney and liver damage. After the stunt, he tried to escape from handcuffs and chains. Blaine later worked with Yale University researchers. They studied how his body reacted to being underwater for so long.
Revolution (2006)
On November 21, 2006, Blaine began his Revolution stunt. He was chained to a spinning gyroscope without food or water. He planned to escape in 16 hours. Blaine finished the stunt 52 hours later.
Guinness World Records (2008)
Blaine appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show on April 30, 2008. He tried to break the Guinness World Record for holding his breath with oxygen. He had failed to break the record without oxygen before.
Before getting into the 1,800-gallon (6,814 L) water tank, Blaine breathed pure oxygen for 23 minutes. He held his breath for 17 minutes and 4.5 seconds. This broke the old record of 16 minutes and 32 seconds. His record stood until September 19, 2008. A German diver named Tom Sietas then held his breath for 17 minutes and 19 seconds.
Dive of Death (2008)
On September 18, 2008, Blaine announced his "The Upside Down Man" performance. He planned to hang upside down for 60 hours without a safety net. On September 22, Blaine began his Dive of Death stunt. He hung over Wollman Rink in Central Park. He would lower himself to talk to fans. He pulled himself up to drink and help his blood flow. Some people criticized him because he was seen standing on a crane platform at times. He came down once an hour for medical checks and bathroom breaks.
What Is Magic? (2010)
In this 42-minute TV special, Blaine performed an amazing trick. He appeared to catch a small bullet fired from a rifle. He caught it in a metal cup held in his mouth.
Electrified: One Million Volts Always On (2012)
On October 5, 2012, Blaine started a 72-hour stunt called Electrified: One Million Volts Always On. He stood on a 22-foot (6.7 m) tall pillar at Pier 54 in New York City. The event was streamed live on YouTube. Seven Tesla coils surrounded him, sending out one million volts of electricity.
The coils were aimed at Blaine for the entire stunt. He did not eat or sleep. He wore 34 pounds (15 kg) of special gear. This included a chainmail Faraday suit to protect him from the electricity. A physics professor said the suit made the stunt safe.
At night, Blaine shivered a lot because of the cold weather. The New York Times explained the science behind his stunt. Musicians Pharrell Williams and Andrew W.K. played music that controlled the electricity. The event ended on October 8, 2012. Blaine walked away with help and went to a hospital for a check-up. He later gave two Tesla coils to the Liberty Science Center.
Real or Magic (2013)
In 2013, Blaine starred in a 90-minute ABC TV special. It was called David Blaine: Real or Magic. The show featured Blaine performing magic for famous people. It was very popular and had good ratings for ABC.
Beyond Magic (2016)
On November 15, 2016, ABC aired Beyond Magic. This 42-minute TV special showed Blaine doing magic for many public figures. One stunt involved him appearing to catch a .22 caliber bullet in a small metal cup in his mouth. He performed this trick live in Las Vegas in 2015 for 20,000 people. During that show, his mouthguard broke. Blaine has not performed this stunt again since then.
The Magic Way (2020)
On April 1, 2020, Blaine starred in David Blaine: The Magic Way on ABC. The special included many close-up magic tricks. He did card tricks through video calls and performed in person for athletes, actors, and other celebrities. Blaine's daughter also performed in the special.
Ascension (2020)
In 2020, Blaine performed the David Blaine Ascension stunt. He floated while holding onto 52 helium-filled balloons with a harness. This stunt happened on September 2, 2020, in Page, Arizona. It was streamed live on YouTube. Blaine reached an altitude of 24,900 feet (7.6 km) above sea level. Then, he let go of the balloons and parachuted down safely.
Do Not Attempt (2025)
In 2025, Blaine teamed up with Hulu and Disney+ for a series. It is called David Blaine: Do Not Attempt. In this show, he trains with people who have amazing skills. He then performs several daring feats around the world.
Live Shows and Residencies
First Live Tour
In 2014, Blaine went on his first live tour. He took his tricks and stunts to audiences in the Middle East and North America. In June 2019, his 'Real or Magic' tour came to the UK and Ireland. He performed in cities like Edinburgh, Manchester, and London.
Blaine had planned to include the bullet catch trick on tour. However, after a live attempt in Las Vegas in 2015, he decided not to. Instead, he focused on the underwater breath-holding stunt for these shows. He had performed this stunt in his 2006 'Drowned Alive' TV special. He also did it again in a live world record attempt in 2009 on The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Las Vegas Residency
In September 2022, Blaine started his first Las Vegas residency. His 'David Blaine Live' show was at the Resorts World hotel. It was so successful that it ran until June 2023. After that, he announced his 'Impossible' residency at The Encore theater, Wynn. This show began in December 2023 and is still running. Blaine performs his favorite tricks and stunts over three shows each month.
Other Work
Writing a Book
On October 29, 2002, Blaine published Mysterious Stranger: A Book of Magic. This book is about his life and includes instructions for magic tricks. It also had a treasure hunt created by game designer Cliff Johnson. A person named Sherri Skanes solved the treasure hunt in 2004.
Helping Others
In November 2006, Blaine performed a stunt in Times Square to support The Salvation Army. He escaped from chains while spinning on a gyroscope. Blaine said this stunt was important to him because The Salvation Army had helped him with clothing when he was young.
On January 15, 2010, Blaine returned to Times Square for "Magic for Haiti." This performance lasted 72 hours. It raised almost US$100,000 to help with relief after the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
Blaine also gave two $1 million Tesla coils to the Liberty Science Center. He donated them after his massive electricity stunt.
Personal Life
David Blaine has a daughter, born on January 27, 2011, with his former girlfriend, French model Alizée Guinochet.
See also
In Spanish: David Blaine para niños
- Escapology
- Hunger artist
- Super Best Friends
