A magician, Henning is credited with repopularizing magic by bringing specials to television. A Canadian, Henning was fascinated with magic since seeing a performer on The Ed Sullivan Show as a child. His own 1976 NBC special The World of Magic brought tremendous ratings, thanks in part to his successful performance of Houdini’s Water Torture Escape.
That led to several subsequent TV specials by Henning and others. “Wonder is very necessary in life,” Henning once said. “When we’re little kids, we’re filled with wonder for the world — it’s fascinating and miraculous. A lot of people lose that. They become cynical and jaded, especially in modern day society. Magic renews that wonder.” Henning died February 7 in Los Angeles from liver cancer. He was 52.