Randall James Hamilton Zwinge
10 min read
Reading time
1,979
Words
Published
15
Film credits
12
Books
5
Awards
Magician and escape artist James Randi exposed Uri Geller’s spoon-bending tricks and faith healers’ deceptions, and founded the James Randi Educational Foundation which offered a $1 million prize for proof of paranormal powers. Born Randall James Hamilton Zwinge in Toronto in 1928, he became a leading investigator of paranormal claims. Randi won a MacArthur Fellowship in 1986 and received multiple awards for science communication.
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James Randi — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.
On August 7, 1928, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Randall James Hamilton Zwinge was born, the eldest of three children of Marie Alice and George Randall Zwinge, a Bell Canada executive. His paternal grandfather was Danish, and his other ancestry includes French-Canadian, English, and Scottish. He developed his illusionist skills under stage names like Zo-Ran and The Great Randall, attending only Sunday school for formal education.
James Randi first gained fame as a stage magician and escape artist, breaking Harry Houdini’s underwater record by staying sealed in a metal coffin at the bottom of a pool for 104 minutes. He also escaped from a straitjacket suspended over Niagara Falls. His prominence as a skeptic increased after he debunked Uri Geller’s psychic claims in the 1970s, appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1962 and later on PBS’s NOVA in 1993. He authored books like The Truth About Uri Geller and The Faith Healers, and co-founded the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry in 1976.
James Randi publicly announced he was gay in 2010. He married his longtime partner, José Alvarez, a Peruvian-born artist, in a 2013 ceremony in Washington, D.C. Alvarez had been Randi’s life partner since at least 1989. The couple appeared together in the 2014 documentary An Honest Liar.
The James Randi Educational Foundation administers a $1 million prize for evidence of paranormal powers, continuing Randi’s skeptical legacy. He received the MacArthur Fellowship in 1986 and the Richard Dawkins Award. His work inspired a generation of skeptics and scientists, and he was the subject of the 2014 documentary An Honest Liar. He is remembered as a tireless demystifier of pseudoscience.
The complete filmography of James Randi — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.
Every award, honor, and recognition received by James Randi — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.
James Randi's bibliography — every authored, edited, and co-written book, ranked by edition count.
A wall of memorable lines from James Randi — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.
If Uri Geller Bends Spoons with Divine Powers, Then He’s Doing It the Hard Way.
It’s a Very Dangerous Thing to Believe in Nonsense.
The New Age? It’s Just the Old Age Stuck in a Microwave Oven for Fifteen Seconds.
If the Audience Likes You, They Want You to Win. It’s Not a Case Of: We’ll See Whether He Can Do This. No. We’ll See Him Do This. We Want Him to Be Successful. He’s up Against the Odds. They’re Pulling for the Underdog.
I Don’t Expect That the Million Will Ever Be Won, Simply Because There Is No Confirming Evidence for Any Paranormal Claims to Date.
Heroin Also Makes People Feel Better, but I Wouldn’t Recommend Using Heroin.
These People Are Vultures. They Sit and Wait for the Weak and Vulnerable and Eat Them Up. They Don’t Offer Any Evidence. They Don’t Offer Any Proof. They Just Ask People to Believe.
Little-known facts about James Randi — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.
James Randi broke Harry Houdini’s underwater record by staying sealed in a metal coffin at the bottom of a swimming pool for 104 minutes.
Debunked claims by self-professed psychics, faith-healers, and conspiracy theorists.
Traveled once with the Alice Cooper Band.
Headed the James Randi Educational Foundation, which promotes critical thinking and offers one million US dollars to anyone who can show evidence of any paranormal, supernatural, or occult power or event.
His longtime partner, José Alvarez, who became his legal husband in 2013, appeared with him in the 2014 documentary An Honest Liar. Alvarez, a professional artist, had been Randi’s life partner since at least 1989.
Escaped from a straitjacket while suspended over Niagara Falls.
Re-created Harry Houdini’s milk can escape.
Drove a 2002 teal blue Miata named Sophia.
The 2014 documentary An Honest Liar, originally produced for the BBC, was repackaged in 2016 for the PBS series Independent Lens.
Publicly announced he was gay in 2010, marrying his longtime partner José Alvarez in a 2013 ceremony in Washington, D.C.
His earliest fame came as a stage magician and escape artist.
Had a pet Kinkajou named Sam.
Author or co-author of 10 books.
Purported to have had an IQ of 168, though IQ is known to decline with age.
Eldest of three children of a Bell Canada telephone company executive.
Co-founded the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims Of the Paranormal CSICOP in 1976, which evolved into the Center for Inquiry.
Has one brother and one sister.
Developed his illusionist skills under stage names including Zo-Ran, Prince Ibis, Telepath, and the Great Randall.
Son of Marie Alice Paradis and George Randall Zwinge; his paternal grandfather was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, and his other ancestry was French-Canadian, English, and Scottish.
Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about James Randi.
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