David Merlini

Early life and career

David Merlini was born on October 31, 1978, in Budapest, Hungary. His mother is Hungarian and his father is Italian. He was raised in Italy, where he moved with his family from Hungary at the age of 4.

Around the age of 4, Merlini became interested in locks and handcuffs. As a child, he was given a magic trick, which founded his career. Around 13, Merlini attended night school at Turin's Circolo Amici della Magia, an illusionist school. When he was 17, he returned to Hungary, the country he regards as his homeland. Merlini cited Harry Houdini, who had also been born in Hungary, as a major source of inspiration.

1995

At Sziget'95 (now called the Sziget Festival), Merlini was strapped in a straitjacket, and was tied to a flaming rope by his feet. His aim was to escape from the rope and descend 20 meters to the platform below with a safety line.

1996

Merlini was locked and in a perforated steel box, after being chained and padlocked. The box was lowered into the Danube from the Chain Bridge.

1997

Attempts to recreate Houdini's famed Chinese Water Torture Cell, Handcuffed by five sets of regulation police handcuffs, locked with 60 pounds of chains, and padlocked in a metal cage, Merlini was lowered into a transparent tank of water, live at eurovision television programme Jeux Sans Frontieres.

1998

Handcuffed to the steering wheel of a Mercedes 500, doors are welded shut, the car is set on fire and lifted up to a height of 100 ft. before being released free fall.

1999

Strapped in a regulations straitjacket on the main stage of Sziget Festival, he is lifted upside down several hundred feet in the air, before proceeding to escape.

2000

Strapped in a special underwater straitjacket, Merlini's ankles are secured by handcuffs, padlocks and massive lead weights. He jumps into the giant transparent tank of water along with six tiger sharks, spending a total of 2 minutes and 30 seconds at a depth of 5 meters.

2001

The stunt named Hyberna sees Merlini strapped in a regulation straitjacket, welded in a steel reinforced glass container filled with water, and set to freeze in a refrigeration cell on Heroe's Square, in Budapest. At the end of the 33 hours process, the one ton ice block is melted with flame throwers. The show is witnessed live by a crowd of more than 10,000 and on live television broadcast.

2002

As part of a live segment for MTV show The Fridge. Strapped in a regulation straitjacket, his ankles are padlocked and handcuffed to lead weights, before jumping in the Baltic Sea in --Karlskrona, Sweden.

2003

Handcuffed to a metal cross, Merlini is lowered upside down in a tank of water set on fire, as part of a segmentt for MTV show The Fridge.

2004

As part of the performance named "The Breakthrough", viewed by two million people on live television, and a large crowd on the banks of the river, Merlini was buried up to his neck in 3.5 tons of freshly set concrete after which the concrete cube was lowered by crane to the bottom of the Danube river.

2005

Merlini is locked in a capsule on top of the largest non governmental, non military missile ever built, and launched to an altitude of 6,000 feet from the Shipyard Island (Hajógyári Island), as part of the stunt named The Countdown, witnessed live by a crowd of thousands, and broadcast live by Viasat.

2006

Publishes his first autobiographic book titled "Szabadíts ki!' (Free me!)

2007

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

2008

Merlini set the breath-holding world record in Cannes, France, at the annual trade show MIPCOM after holding his breath for 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".

2009

Breaks the world record for the longest time underwater on the starting grid of the Formula 1 World Championship in Bahrain, before the start of the race. The event was covered live worldwide. The new world record stands at 21 minutes and 29 seconds.

2010

Merlini is on tour. Performing on 17 different venues, presenting his signature escapes.

2011

Breaks the breath-holding world record in Baofeng lake, Hunan, China.

2012

Plays chess upside down with chess World Champion Susan Polgár, after successfully escaping a regulation straitjacket.

2013

Merlini consulted for the Houdini miniseries as magical and escape advisor, training actor Adrien Brody, who played the role of Houdini, how to escape from handcuffs while holding his breath.

2014

Merlini was set on fire during his "Witch trial" stunt. Tied at the stake with ropes, and soaked with flammable material, he had to escape before the protective coating on his skin would volatilize.

2015

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

2016

Merlini opened The House of Houdini, presenting the largest permanent collection of original Houdini artifacts in Europe. Its artifacts were previewed at Budapest's National Széchényi Library. The museum's collection includes original Houdini memorabilia: e.g., handcuffs, personal correspondence, and "precious artifacts." A bible one owned by Houdini is part of the collection. It also includes original props from the latest "HOUDINI" film – Oxygen (1999), which featured Adrien Brody, an Oscar winner, and the later miniseries.

Accidents and injuries

In 2008 During a World Record attempt in Cannes, France, Merlini's assistants smash the giant water tank in order to rescue him, resulting in an injured arm caused by broken glass .

In 2014 he presents Hyberna, the ice escape in Italy on Canale 5. During the escape, the 1 ton ice block breaks, causing a fracture of Merlini's tibia and fibula. Merlini calmly thanks the audience for the support, before being rushed to the hospital. Few weeks later, he performs a new underwater escape, the "upper body escape", where only his head and torso is submerged underwater, due to the cast on his leg.