Most of us have never heard of a famous locksmith in London, Stratford locksmith or any other area for that matter. It is rare if we know the name of any locksmith who has made a name for himself. Locksmithing is a low-key business, and although professionals do gain success in their business, they hardly become famous. What’s rarer, are famous people, who have been locksmithing enthusiasts along with having brought revolutionizing changes in the world.
French Revolution, World War II, the Declaration of Independence of the United States are highly the events that come to mind when we think of locksmithing. Following is a list of famous men who changed the course of history during such events, but were also locksmiths unbeknownst to the common man.
Harry Houdini: Yes, we are talking about the same man. Harry Houdini: the world’s most famous magician and escape artist was a locksmith. How else did you think he was able to escape from practically any confinement in the world? Strait jackets, hand cuffs, water filled tanks, nail packed crates, was there anything that could cage this famous illusionist? His secret lied in the fact that he was an excellent lock picker, and later in his career, he even revealed how any lock can be picked by applying the right amount of pressure. Although he didn’t change the course of times-past, he did bring a revolution in magic.
King Louis XVI: More famous for being the last King of France, the only French King to be executed, more exactly, beheaded, and also for being the husband of Marie Antoinette, few people care to remember the fact that Louis the XVI was a terrific locksmith. This adds a human touch to the infamous ruler, showing how behind the noble king there was an ordinary person with a cherished hobby. Had fate not predestined a role for him as King, perhaps he would have been more satisfied being a simple locksmith.
Albert Einstein: Nobel Prize winner, the most influential physicist to ever have lived, having revolutionized the realm of physics with his theory of relativity, and many other great milestones in science, it isn’t much of a shocker that most people don’t remember that had Albert Einstein been given another chance at life he’d have chosen to be a simple locksmith instead. His great regret at having supported the creation of the atomic bomb, the famous genius wished that he could redo things and revolutionize the world of locksmithing instead.
Pharaoh Khafra of Egypt: Credited with the constructing of the Sphinx and the second largest pyramid of Giza, Pharaoh Khafra ruled Egypt about 6000 years ago. Clearly, he is dubbed as the first locksmith in history. With the fixation Ancient Egyptian rulers had of safeguarding their prized possessions and riches after death, it isn’t much of a surprise that the art of locksmithing began in Egypt. The locks designed by the old pharaoh were used for daily use, as well as for locking the chambers and tombs of the ancient pyramids.