David Merlini

Quick facts for kids David Merlini
David Merlini President - The House of Houdini Budapest
Born	Budapest, Hungary
Occupation	escape artist, Director
Years active	1993–present
Children	No

David Merlini is a famous escape artist from Hungary and Italy. He holds World Records for his amazing escapes. Many people, including Expo 2015, have called him the world's most famous escapologist. Today, he is the Director of The House of Houdini, which is the only museum in Europe dedicated to the legendary escape artist Harry Houdini.

David's incredible performances have been shown live on major television networks around the world.

Early Life and His Journey to Escapology

David Merlini's mother is Hungarian and his father is Italian. He moved to Italy from Hungary with his family when he was 4 years old. He grew up there.

From a very young age, around 4 years old, David was fascinated by locks and handcuffs. A magic trick he received as a child sparked his interest in this unique career. When he was about 13, David attended an illusionist school in Turin, Italy. It was called Circolo Amici della Magia.

At 17, he moved back to Hungary, which he considers his homeland. David was greatly inspired by Harry Houdini, another famous escape artist who was also born in Hungary.

Amazing Escapes Through the Years

1995: The Flaming Rope Escape

At the Sziget Festival, David was strapped into a straitjacket. His feet were tied to a flaming rope. His goal was to escape the rope and descend 20 meters to a platform below, using a safety line.

1996: Underwater Box Challenge

David was chained and padlocked inside a perforated steel box. The box was then lowered into the Danube River from the Chain Bridge in Budapest.

1997: Recreating Houdini's Water Torture

David attempted to recreate Houdini's famous Chinese Water Torture Cell escape. He was handcuffed with five sets of police handcuffs. He was also locked with 60 pounds of chains and padlocked inside a metal cage. Then, he was lowered into a clear tank of water on a live television show called Jeux Sans Frontieres.

1998: The Burning Car Escape

David was handcuffed to the steering wheel of a Mercedes 500 car. The car doors were welded shut. The car was then set on fire and lifted 100 feet high before being released in a free fall.

1999: Upside-Down Straitjacket Escape

Strapped in a regulation straitjacket, David was lifted upside down several hundred feet into the air. This happened on the main stage of the Sziget Festival. He then proceeded to escape.

David Merlini in 1999

2000: Sharks and Straitjackets

David wore a special underwater straitjacket. His ankles were secured by handcuffs, padlocks, and massive lead weights. He jumped into a giant clear tank of water along with six tiger sharks. He spent a total of 2 minutes and 30 seconds at a depth of 5 meters.

More Incredible Challenges

2001: The Hyberna Ice Escape

This stunt was named "Hyberna." David was strapped in a straitjacket and welded inside a steel-reinforced glass container filled with water. This container was then set to freeze in a refrigeration cell on Heroe's Square in Budapest.

After 33 hours, the one-ton ice block was melted with flamethrowers. More than 10,000 people watched this show live, and it was also broadcast on television.

David Merlini frozen in a block of solid ice on Heroes Square, Budapest, Hungary, on the 29th of September 2001

2002: Baltic Sea Jump

As part of a live segment for the MTV show The Fridge, David was strapped in a straitjacket. His ankles were padlocked and handcuffed to lead weights. He then jumped into the cold Baltic Sea in Karlskrona, Sweden.

2003: Fire and Water Challenge

Again for the MTV show The Fridge, David was handcuffed to a metal cross. He was lowered upside down into a tank of water that was set on fire.

2004: Buried in Concrete

In a performance called "The Breakthrough," David was buried up to his neck in 3.5 tons of freshly set concrete. After the concrete hardened, the huge concrete cube was lowered by a crane to the bottom of the Danube river. Two million people watched this on live television.

2005: The Missile Countdown

In a stunt named "The Countdown," David was locked in a capsule on top of the largest non-military missile ever built. It was launched to an altitude of 6,000 feet from Shipyard Island (Hajógyári Island). Thousands of people watched this live, and it was broadcast by Viasat.

2006: Authoring His Story

David published his first autobiographical book, titled "Szabadíts ki!" (which means "Free me!").

2007: Award-Winning Escapist

David received the "Best Escape Artist" award at the 2007 World Magic Awards in Los Angeles.

2008: Setting a Breath-Holding World Record

David set a new world record for holding his breath underwater in Cannes, France. He held his breath for an amazing 20 minutes and 39 seconds. He received a certificate from Guinness World Records for "The record for the longest time that someone has held their breath underwater."

David Merlini (HUN) breaks his own record for holding breath underwater with a time of 21 minutes and 29 seconds. Formula One World Championship, Rd 4, Bahrain Grand Prix, Race Day, Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain, Sunday 26 April 2009. Photo courtesy of Sutton Images

2009: Breaking His Own Record

David broke his own world record for the longest time underwater. This happened on the starting grid of the Formula 1 World Championship in Bahrain, just before the race began. The event was covered live worldwide. His new world record stood at 21 minutes and 29 seconds.

2010: On Tour

David went on tour, performing his signature escapes at 17 different venues.

2011: Another Breath-Holding Record

He broke the breath-holding world record once more in Baofeng lake, Hunan, China.

2012: Chess and Escapes

After successfully escaping a regulation straitjacket, David played chess upside down with chess World Champion Susan Polgár.

2013: Consulting for Houdini

David worked as a magical and escape advisor for the Houdini miniseries. He trained actor Adrien Brody, who played Houdini, on how to escape from handcuffs while holding his breath.

2014: The "Witch Trial" Stunt

In his "Witch trial" stunt, David was set on fire. He was tied to a stake with ropes and soaked with flammable material. He had to escape before the special protective coating on his skin would wear off.

2015: Houdini in Milan

David presented "Houdini in Milano," a live theatrical show featuring real escapes. This was for the closing ceremony of Expo 2015 at the Auditorium in Milan, Italy.

2016: Opening The House of Houdini

David Merlini opened The House of Houdini museum. It presents the largest permanent collection of original Houdini artifacts in Europe. The museum's collection includes original items from Houdini, such as his handcuffs, personal letters, and other valuable objects. A Bible once owned by Houdini is also part of the collection. The museum also features original props from the "HOUDINI" film Oxygen (1999) and the later miniseries.

Accidents and Injuries During Escapes

Performing dangerous escapes can sometimes lead to accidents.

2008: Tank Rescue

In 2008, during a World Record attempt in Cannes, France, David's assistants had to smash the giant water tank to rescue him. He injured his arm from the broken glass.

2014: Ice Block Fracture

In 2014, David performed the "Hyberna" ice escape in Italy. During the escape, the one-ton ice block broke. This caused David to fracture his tibia and fibula (bones in his lower leg). Even with a broken leg, he calmly thanked the audience for their support before being rushed to the hospital. A few weeks later, he performed a new underwater escape, called the "upper body escape." In this stunt, only his head and torso were submerged underwater because of the cast on his leg.