James Randi Birthday & Fun Facts

James Randi Birthday Highlights

Birth Name

Place Of Birth

Toronto , Canada

Age

95 years old

Birth Date

August 7 1928

James Randi Facts

Child Star?

no

Occupation

Magician

Education & Qualifications

Net Worth

$5,000,000

James Randi was born on August 7, 1928, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

His birth name was Randall James Hamilton Zwinge, and he was a scientific skeptic who challenged pseudoscientific and paranormal claims extensively. He was an American Canadian stage musician and author.

James Randi started his career under the stage name The Amazing Randi as a magician. He died on 20 October 2020 in Plantation, Florida, United States.

After becoming a magician, he decided to spend most of his time investigating occult, paranormal, and supernatural claims. He collectively called all these things woo-woo. The well-known magician from Toronto, Canada, founded The James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) and was a co-founder of CSI (the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry).

What was James Randi's net worth?

The net worth of the investigator who died in October was $5 million. 

How tall was James Randi?

James Randi was 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) tall. 

How old was James Randi?

James Randi died in 2020 at the age of 92-years-old. 

James Randi was the son of George Randall Zwinge and Marie Alice. At Bell Telephone Company, George was serving as an executive. James was of Danish, French, and Austrian descent and had two siblings, a sister and a brother. 

The $5 million net worth star, born in August in Canada, decided to become a magician after seeing Harry Blackstone Sr. Also, he had read many conjuring books and spent more than a year in a body cast after encountering a bicycle accident. 

The magician confounded doctors who said he could never walk. On an IQ test, he scored 168 even after skipping classes. At 17, James Randi dropped out of school to participate in a carnival roadshow as a conjurer. 

At Toronto's Canadian National Exhibition and local nightclubs, the illusionist practiced as a mentalist and wrote for the tabloid press in Montreal. The August-born star stumbled upon a church as a teenager where pastors used to read minds. 

Who was James Randi's partner?

On July 2, 2013, James Randi got married to José Alvarez, a Venezuelan artist in Washington. In 1986, he moved to Florida, where the star met her in a Fort Lauderdale. 

Best Known For…

James Randi was often referred to as a debunker. But he never liked it. He wanted people to call him an investigator. During his tenure in this field, he wrote about skepticism, paranormal phenomena, and the history of magic. 

On a popular series, 'The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson', he was often a guest. James Randi also appeared in 'Penn & Teller: Bullshit!' 

James Randi sponsored the One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge under JREF. It offered eligible candidates a one million prize demonstrating supernatural, paranormal, or occult power evidence. 

In 2015, the JREF stated that they wouldn't accept applications from people stating that they have paranormal power. Instead, they will offer the challenge, and whoever passes the preliminary tests will proceed further. 

What awards did James Randi win?

The awards won by James Randi were the Visiting Magician of the Year in 1977, the Blackstone Cup in 1983, and The Garden State Magician Award in 1978. Randi also received an appreciation certificate from the MIT Club of Boston. 

The magician is also known for holding Guinness World Records after being locked in an ice block for 55 minutes. He also holds a record of one hour 44 minutes in a sealed casket underwater. 

• James Randi retired at 60, but he was associated with his foundation till 87. 
• On June 7, 1989, James Randi appeared in 'Exploring Psychic Powers ... Live', 'James Randi: Psychic Investigator,' 'Secrets Of The Psychics.' He has also written magic books, like 'The Magic World Of The Amazing Randi,' introducing the world to magic tricks. 
• James Randi was a member of The Magic Circle in the UK, where he holds the status of Gold Sta of the Inner Magic Circle. James was also an International Brotherhood of Magicians (IBM) and the Society of American Magicians (SAM) member. 
• James went on many world tours and hosted several television specials, like 'Wonderama' and 'The Magic Clown.' 
• Randi worked on A Magician in the Laboratory, which recounted his skepticism of science application. Nature, a prominent science journal's editor, John Maddox, asked him to join the observation and supervision of the homeopathy experiments.  
• Randi said he belongs to that group of atheists who believes that no proofs are there, which says god exists. He once said that he is a trickster, a charlatan, cheater, and that's what he does for a living. 
• On May 26, 2011, 'Think Again! TV' the Canadian Center documented one of his performances in front of a large audience. 
• Before adopting the stage name, he presented himself under Randall Zwinge, his real name but later dropped it. 

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