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 |
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| 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 very young age.
He became well-known in 1997 with his TV show David Blaine: Street Magic. He also had other popular TV specials like David Blaine: Real or Magic (2013), Beyond Magic (2016), and The Magic Way (2020). David Blaine is famous for his daring stunts. In 2008, he even broke a Guinness World Record by holding his breath for an incredible 17 minutes and 4 seconds! He also wrote a book called Mysterious Stranger: A Book of Magic (2002), which shares his life story and teaches some cool magic tricks.
Contents
- Early Life and Magic Dreams
- Amazing Stunts and TV Shows
- Street Magic and Magic Man (1997-1998)
- 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)
- Electrified: One Million Volts Always On (2012)
- Real or Magic (2013)
- Beyond Magic (2016)
- The Magic Way (2020)
- Ascension (2020)
- Live Shows and Tours
- Other Cool Work
- See also
- Images for kids
Early Life and Magic Dreams
David Blaine was born and grew up in Brooklyn, New York City. When he was just four years old, he saw a magician performing magic on the subway. This moment made him love magic for his whole life!
He went to a special school called a Montessori school in Brooklyn. Later, he moved to Little Falls, New Jersey, and went to Passaic Valley Regional High School. When David was 17, he moved to Manhattan, New York City, to follow his dreams.
Amazing Stunts and TV Shows
David Blaine is famous for his incredible and often dangerous stunts. He performs these feats to amaze people and push the limits of what the human body can do.
Street Magic and Magic Man (1997-1998)
On May 19, 1997, David Blaine's first TV show, David Blaine: Street Magic, aired on ABC. People were really impressed! Magician Penn Jillette from Penn & Teller said it was something totally new. David wanted to bring magic back to how it was 100 years ago. Time magazine said his calm style left people more amazed than if he had done flashy tricks.
In Magic Man, which aired on January 16, 1998, David traveled all over the country. He surprised people in places like Atlantic City, Compton, Dallas, and New York City. A small team filmed him with handheld cameras, showing the real reactions of people. USA Today called him the "hottest name in magic right now."
Buried Alive (1999)
On April 5, 1999, David Blaine did a stunt called "Buried Alive." He was sealed in an underground plastic box for seven days! The box was under a huge tank filled with 3 tons of water. His only way to communicate was with a hand buzzer. The box had only 6 inches of space above his head and 2 inches on each side.
On the last day, April 12, many news teams watched as he was dug out. David emerged and told the crowd he had a vision of everyone working together. BBC News said he had even outdone his hero, Harry Houdini, who had planned a similar stunt but passed away before he could do it.
Frozen in Time (2000)
On November 27, 2000, David tried a stunt called Frozen in Time. He stood inside a giant block of ice in Times Square, New York City, for 63 hours, 42 minutes, and 15 seconds. He had a tube for air and water. He was removed from the ice with chainsaws and taken to a hospital because doctors worried he might be going into shock.
David later said it took him a month to fully recover. He didn't plan to try such a difficult stunt again. In 2010, another magician broke his record by staying in ice for 66 hours.
Vertigo (2002)
On May 22, 2002, David Blaine was lifted by a crane onto a 100-foot-high pillar in Bryant Park, New York City. The pillar was only 22 inches wide! He stayed on the pillar for 35 hours without a harness. He ended the stunt by jumping onto a landing platform made of cardboard boxes. He got a mild concussion from the jump.
Above the Below (2003)
On September 5, 2003, David began a stunt where he was sealed inside a clear Plexiglas box. The box was suspended 30 feet in the air next to the River Thames in London. It was 3 feet by 7 feet by 7 feet. A webcam inside the box let people watch him. The stunt lasted 44 days, and David only drank water, without eating any food.
This stunt got a lot of attention from the public and the news. When it ended on October 19, David came out in tears and was taken to the hospital. Doctors studied his 44-day fast, saying that eating again after such a long time was the most dangerous part.
Drowned Alive (2006)
On May 1, 2006, David Blaine started his Drowned Alive stunt. He was submerged in an 8-foot-wide, water-filled sphere for seven days! This happened in front of the Lincoln Center in New York City. During the stunt, he had some damage to his kidneys and liver. At the end, he tried to escape from handcuffs and chains after leaving the sphere. After this, he worked with researchers at Yale University to study how the human body reacts to being submerged for a long time.
Revolution (2006)
On November 21, 2006, David Blaine began his Revolution stunt. He was chained to a spinning gyroscope without food or water. He planned to escape within 16 hours, but it actually took him 52 hours to complete the stunt!
Guinness World Records (2008)
On April 30, 2008, David Blaine appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show. He wanted to break the Guinness World Record for holding his breath with extra oxygen. He had tried before without oxygen and didn't break the record.
Before getting into the 1800-gallon water tank, David breathed pure oxygen for 23 minutes. He then held his breath for an amazing 17 minutes and 4.5 seconds! This broke the old record and set a new Guinness World Record. This record stood until September 19, 2008, when another diver held his breath for 17 minutes and 19 seconds.
Dive of Death (2008)
On September 18, 2008, David Blaine announced his The Upside Down Man performance. He planned to hang upside down for 60 hours without a safety net! On September 22, he started his stunt, Dive of Death, hanging over Wollman Rink in Central Park. He would lower himself to talk to fans. He had to pull himself up to drink and keep his blood flowing normally. He came down once an hour for a medical check.
Electrified: One Million Volts Always On (2012)
On October 5, 2012, David Blaine performed a 72-hour stunt called Electrified: One Million Volts Always On. He stood on a 22-foot-tall pillar on Pier 54 in New York City. The stunt was streamed live on YouTube. He was surrounded by seven Tesla coils that shot out one million volts of electricity continuously. David didn't eat or sleep during this time. He wore a special 34-pound chainmail suit, called a Faraday suit, which protected him by making the electricity go around his body instead of through it.
At night, David shivered a lot because of the cold weather. Famous musicians like Pharrell Williams and Andrew W.K. even played music on a keyboard that controlled the electric sparks! The stunt ended on October 8, 2012. David was able to walk away with help and was taken to a hospital for a check-up. He later gave two of the Tesla coils to the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, New Jersey, for people to see.
Real or Magic (2013)
In 2013, David Blaine starred in a 90-minute ABC TV special called David Blaine: Real or Magic. It aired on November 19, 2013. In this show, David performed magic for many famous people and public figures. The special was very popular and had great ratings for ABC.
Beyond Magic (2016)
On November 15, 2016, ABC aired Beyond Magic. This TV special showed David Blaine performing magic for various famous people. One of the most talked-about stunts was when David seemed to catch a .22 caliber bullet in a small metal cup held in his mouth. He performed this trick live in Las Vegas in 2015. However, his mouthguard broke during that performance, and he has not done the stunt again since.
The Magic Way (2020)
On April 1, 2020, David Blaine starred in David Blaine: The Magic Way, which aired on ABC. This special featured many close-up magic tricks. He performed card tricks through video calls and also in person for famous athletes, actors, and other celebrities, as well as everyday people. David's daughter also performed in the special!
Ascension (2020)
In 2020, David Blaine performed his "Ascension" stunt. He floated high into the sky while holding onto a cluster of 52 helium-filled balloons using a harness. The stunt happened on September 2, 2020, in Page, Arizona, and was streamed live on YouTube. David reached an amazing height of 24,900 feet above sea level! After reaching that height, he let go of the balloons and parachuted safely down to the ground.
Live Shows and Tours
In 2014, David Blaine went on his first ever live tour. He took his amazing 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. For these shows, he often performed his famous underwater breath-holding stunt, which he had done in his 2006 'Drowned Alive' TV special and on The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Las Vegas Residency
In September 2022, David Blaine started his first ever Las Vegas residency. His 'David Blaine Live' show at the Resorts World hotel was so successful that it was extended through June 2023. After that, he announced his 'Impossible' residency at The Encore theater, Wynn, which began in December 2023 and is still running. In this show, David performs many of his favorite tricks and stunts.
Other Cool Work
Writing a Book
On October 29, 2002, David Blaine published his book, Mysterious Stranger: A Book of Magic. It's partly his life story and also a fun armchair treasure hunt! The book even has instructions on how to do some magic tricks yourself.
Helping Others
David Blaine also uses his talents to help others. In November 2006, he did a stunt in New York's Times Square to support The Salvation Army. He escaped from shackles while spinning on a gyroscope. He said this stunt was important to him because The Salvation Army had helped him with clothing when he was younger.
On January 15, 2010, David returned to Times Square to perform "Magic for Haiti." This performance lasted 72 hours and raised almost $100,000 to help people after the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
He also gave two huge $1 million Tesla coils to the Liberty Science Center after his big electricity stunt, so people could learn from them.
See also
- Escapology
- Hunger artist
- Super Best Friends
Images for kids
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In Spanish: David Blaine for kids
