James Randi - Revision history

GaryJJSpate: Standing correction: PersonInfobox -> InfoboxPerson

2026-08-05T12:24:23Z

Standing correction: PersonInfobox -> InfoboxPerson

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	{{~~PersonInfobox~~		{{InfoboxPerson
	\|name=James Randi		\|name=James Randi
	\|born=7 August 1928, [[Toronto]], [[:Category:Ontario\|Ontario]], [[:Category:Canada\|Canada]]		\|born=7 August 1928, [[Toronto]], [[:Category:Ontario\|Ontario]], [[:Category:Canada\|Canada]]

GaryJJSpate at 13:41, 29 July 2026

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	[[Category:Researchers]]		[[Category:Researchers]]
			[[Category:People]]

GaryJJSpate: /* Early life and magic career */

2026-07-29T13:40:49Z

Early life and magic career

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	== Early life and magic career ==		== Early life and magic career ==
	Randi grew up in [[Toronto]], developing an early fascination with magic after seeing performer Harry Blackstone Sr. live. He dropped out of school as a teenager to join a carnival roadshow, working as a conjurer and mentalist at local nightclubs, and began performing professionally as a magician in 1946.<ref name="syfy">{{cite web \|title=James 'The Amazing' Randi, magician and noted paranormal skeptic, dies at 92 \|url=https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/james-randi-magician-paranormal-investigator-obituary \|website=Syfy}}</ref> He built a career as an escape artist, freeing himself from straitjackets, jail cells, safes, and a sealed coffin submerged underwater during a televised stunt.<ref name="rollingstone">{{cite web \|title=James Randi, Famed Magician and Paranormal Skeptic, Dead at 92 \|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/james-randi-obituary-1079316/ \|website=Rolling Stone \|date=22 October 2020}}</ref>		Randi grew up in [[Toronto]], developing an early fascination with magic after seeing performer Harry Blackstone Sr. live. He dropped out of school as a teenager to join a carnival roadshow, working as a conjurer and [[Menatalism\|mentalist]] at local nightclubs, and began performing professionally as a magician in 1946.<ref name="syfy">{{cite web \|title=James 'The Amazing' Randi, magician and noted paranormal skeptic, dies at 92 \|url=https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/james-randi-magician-paranormal-investigator-obituary \|website=Syfy}}</ref> He built a career as an escape artist, freeing himself from straitjackets, jail cells, safes, and a sealed coffin submerged underwater during a televised stunt.<ref name="rollingstone">{{cite web \|title=James Randi, Famed Magician and Paranormal Skeptic, Dead at 92 \|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/james-randi-obituary-1079316/ \|website=Rolling Stone \|date=22 October 2020}}</ref>

	== Turn to skeptical investigation ==		== Turn to skeptical investigation ==

GaryJJSpate at 13:40, 29 July 2026

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	\|died=20 October 2020, [[Plantation]], [[:Category:Florida\|Florida]], [[:Category:United States of America\|USA]]		\|died=20 October 2020, [[Plantation]], [[:Category:Florida\|Florida]], [[:Category:United States of America\|USA]]
	\|occupation=Stage magician, author, scientific skeptic		\|occupation=Stage magician, author, scientific skeptic
	\|known_for=Co-founding CSICOP; the One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge; exposing Uri Geller and Peter Popoff		\|known_for=Co-founding CSICOP; the [[One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge]]; exposing [[Uri Geller]] and [[Peter Popoff]]
	\|status=Deceased		\|status=Deceased
	}}		}}

	'''James Randi''' (born Randall James Hamilton Zwinge; 7 August 1928 – 20 October 2020), known professionally as '''"The Amazing Randi,"''' was a Canadian-American stage magician, author, and scientific skeptic who spent much of his later career investigating and publicly challenging paranormal and pseudoscientific claims. He was a co-founder of [[Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal\|CSICOP]] and founder of the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF).<ref name="handwiki">{{cite web \|title=James Randi \|url=https://handwiki.org/wiki/Biography:James_Randi \|website=HandWiki}}</ref>		'''James Randi''' (born Randall James Hamilton Zwinge; 7 August 1928 – 20 October 2020), known professionally as '''"The Amazing Randi,"''' was a Canadian-American stage magician, author, and scientific skeptic who spent much of his later career investigating and publicly challenging paranormal and pseudoscientific claims. He was a co-founder of [[Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal\|CSICOP]] and founder of the [[James Randi Educational Foundation]] (JREF).<ref name="handwiki">{{cite web \|title=James Randi \|url=https://handwiki.org/wiki/Biography:James_Randi \|website=HandWiki}}</ref>

	== Early life and magic career ==		== Early life and magic career ==

GaryJJSpate: /* Writing */

2026-07-29T13:39:40Z

Writing

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	== Writing ==		== Writing ==
	Beyond ''The Truth About Uri Geller'', Randi's books include ''Flim-Flam!'' and ''The Faith Healers'', alongside a biography of Nostradamus and further reference works on major paranormal claims and figures.<ref name="handwiki" /> He was portrayed in the 2014 documentary ''An Honest Liar'', which chronicled his life and career.<ref name="magicianmasterclass">{{cite web \|title=James Randi: A Magical Life of Debunking and Skepticism \|url=https://www.magicianmasterclass.com/post/james-randi \|website=Magician Masterclass}}</ref>		Beyond ''The Truth About Uri Geller'', Randi's books include ''[[Flim-Flam! (book)\|Flim-Flam!]]'' and ''[[The Faith Healers (book)\|The Faith Healers]]'', alongside a biography of [[Nostradamus]] and further reference works on major paranormal claims and figures.<ref name="handwiki" /> He was portrayed in the 2014 documentary ''[[An Honest Liar\|An Honest Liar]]'', which chronicled his life and career.<ref name="magicianmasterclass">{{cite web \|title=James Randi: A Magical Life of Debunking and Skepticism \|url=https://www.magicianmasterclass.com/post/james-randi \|website=Magician Masterclass}}</ref>

	== Personal life ==		== Personal life ==

GaryJJSpate: /* CSICOP and the JREF */

2026-07-29T13:38:41Z

CSICOP and the JREF

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	== CSICOP and the JREF ==		== CSICOP and the JREF ==
	Randi was a founding member of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP) in 1976, alongside [[Ray Hyman]], [[Martin Gardner]], and [[Paul Kurtz]] — now the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI).<ref name="goodreads">{{cite web \|title=James Randi (Author of Flim-Flam!) \|url=https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/223987.James_Randi \|website=Goodreads}}</ref> In 1996, he founded the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF), a non-profit dedicated to promoting critical thinking and investigating paranormal claims. The foundation went on to sponsor the "One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge," offering $1 million to anyone able to demonstrate a paranormal, supernatural, or occult ability under mutually agreed scientific test conditions. More than 1,000 people applied over the challenge's history; none succeeded, and it was formally retired in 2015 when Randi retired from the JREF at age 87.<ref name="syfy" /> From 2003, the JREF also ran an annual conference for skeptics, "The Amaz!ng Meeting" (TAM).<ref name="futurafeed">{{cite web \|title=James Randi: The Unforgettable Legacy Of The Skeptic's Magician \|url=https://futurafeed.com/the-life-and-legacy-of-james-randi/ \|website=Futurafeed \|date=31 March 2026}}</ref>		Randi was a founding member of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP) in 1976, alongside [[Ray Hyman]], [[Martin Gardner]], and [[Paul Kurtz]] — now the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI).<ref name="goodreads">{{cite web \|title=James Randi (Author of Flim-Flam!) \|url=https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/223987.James_Randi \|website=Goodreads}}</ref> In 1996, he founded the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF), a non-profit dedicated to promoting critical thinking and investigating paranormal claims. The foundation went on to sponsor the "[[One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge]]," offering $1 million to anyone able to demonstrate a paranormal, supernatural, or occult ability under mutually agreed scientific test conditions. More than 1,000 people applied over the challenge's history; none succeeded, and it was formally retired in 2015 when Randi retired from the JREF at age 87.<ref name="syfy" /> From 2003, the JREF also ran an annual conference for skeptics, "The Amaz!ng Meeting" (TAM).<ref name="futurafeed">{{cite web \|title=James Randi: The Unforgettable Legacy Of The Skeptic's Magician \|url=https://futurafeed.com/the-life-and-legacy-of-james-randi/ \|website=Futurafeed \|date=31 March 2026}}</ref>

	Although frequently described as a "debunker," Randi said he disliked the term's implications and preferred to describe himself as an "investigator."<ref name="goodreads" />		Although frequently described as a "debunker," Randi said he disliked the term's implications and preferred to describe himself as an "investigator."<ref name="goodreads" />

GaryJJSpate: /* Turn to skeptical investigation */

2026-07-29T13:38:13Z

Turn to skeptical investigation

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	Randi became a frequent guest on ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'', where he exposed televangelist Peter Popoff's use of a concealed radio receiver, through which Popoff's wife fed him information about congregation members she had gathered from prayer request cards, allowing him to appear to receive divine knowledge of their ailments.<ref name="opendoubt">{{cite web \|title=James Randi \| The Amazing Randi, Skeptic \|url=https://opendoubt.com/people/james-randi \|website=Open Doubt}}</ref>		Randi became a frequent guest on ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'', where he exposed televangelist Peter Popoff's use of a concealed radio receiver, through which Popoff's wife fed him information about congregation members she had gathered from prayer request cards, allowing him to appear to receive divine knowledge of their ailments.<ref name="opendoubt">{{cite web \|title=James Randi \| The Amazing Randi, Skeptic \|url=https://opendoubt.com/people/james-randi \|website=Open Doubt}}</ref>

	Randi's most prolonged public confrontation was with self-described psychic [[Uri Geller]], whose claimed ability to bend spoons using telepathy Randi argued was achievable by any competent stage magician using ordinary sleight of hand. In a 1973 appearance on ''The Tonight Show'', Randi advised the production staff to supply Geller with their own props rather than his usual pre-prepared items; unable to manipulate the unfamiliar objects, Geller was unable to perform his claimed feats on air.<ref name="rollingstone" /> Randi documented his long-running case against Geller in his book ''The Truth About Uri Geller''.<ref name="handwiki" />		Randi's most prolonged public confrontation was with self-described psychic [[Uri Geller]], whose claimed ability to bend spoons using telepathy Randi argued was achievable by any competent stage magician using ordinary sleight of hand. In a 1973 appearance on ''The Tonight Show'', Randi advised the production staff to supply Geller with their own props rather than his usual pre-prepared items; unable to manipulate the unfamiliar objects, Geller was unable to perform his claimed feats on air.<ref name="rollingstone" /> Randi documented his long-running case against Geller in his book ''[[The Truth About Uri Geller (book)\|The Truth About Uri Geller]]''.<ref name="handwiki" />

	== CSICOP and the JREF ==		== CSICOP and the JREF ==

GaryJJSpate: Created page with "{{PersonInfobox |name=James Randi |born=7 August 1928, Toronto, Ontario, Canada |died=20 October 2020, Plantation, Florida, USA |occupation=Stage magician, author, scientific skeptic |known_for=Co-founding CSICOP; the One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge; exposing Uri Geller and Peter Popoff |status=Deceased }} '''James Randi''' (born Randall James Hamilton..."

2026-07-29T13:37:00Z

Created page with "{{PersonInfobox |name=James Randi |born=7 August 1928, Toronto, Ontario, Canada |died=20 October 2020, Plantation, Florida, USA |occupation=Stage magician, author, scientific skeptic |known_for=Co-founding CSICOP; the One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge; exposing Uri Geller and Peter Popoff |status=Deceased }} '''James Randi''' (born Randall James Hamilton..."

New page

{{PersonInfobox
|name=James Randi
|born=7 August 1928, [[Toronto]], [[:Category:Ontario|Ontario]], [[:Category:Canada|Canada]]
|died=20 October 2020, [[Plantation]], [[:Category:Florida|Florida]], [[:Category:United States of America|USA]]
|occupation=Stage magician, author, scientific skeptic
|known_for=Co-founding CSICOP; the One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge; exposing Uri Geller and Peter Popoff
|status=Deceased
}}

'''James Randi''' (born Randall James Hamilton Zwinge; 7 August 1928 – 20 October 2020), known professionally as '''"The Amazing Randi,"''' was a Canadian-American stage magician, author, and scientific skeptic who spent much of his later career investigating and publicly challenging paranormal and pseudoscientific claims. He was a co-founder of [[Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal|CSICOP]] and founder of the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF).<ref name="handwiki">{{cite web |title=James Randi |url=https://handwiki.org/wiki/Biography:James_Randi |website=HandWiki}}</ref>

== Early life and magic career ==
Randi grew up in [[Toronto]], developing an early fascination with magic after seeing performer Harry Blackstone Sr. live. He dropped out of school as a teenager to join a carnival roadshow, working as a conjurer and mentalist at local nightclubs, and began performing professionally as a magician in 1946.<ref name="syfy">{{cite web |title=James 'The Amazing' Randi, magician and noted paranormal skeptic, dies at 92 |url=https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/james-randi-magician-paranormal-investigator-obituary |website=Syfy}}</ref> He built a career as an escape artist, freeing himself from straitjackets, jail cells, safes, and a sealed coffin submerged underwater during a televised stunt.<ref name="rollingstone">{{cite web |title=James Randi, Famed Magician and Paranormal Skeptic, Dead at 92 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/james-randi-obituary-1079316/ |website=Rolling Stone |date=22 October 2020}}</ref>

== Turn to skeptical investigation ==
Randi became a frequent guest on ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'', where he exposed televangelist Peter Popoff's use of a concealed radio receiver, through which Popoff's wife fed him information about congregation members she had gathered from prayer request cards, allowing him to appear to receive divine knowledge of their ailments.<ref name="opendoubt">{{cite web |title=James Randi | The Amazing Randi, Skeptic |url=https://opendoubt.com/people/james-randi |website=Open Doubt}}</ref>

Randi's most prolonged public confrontation was with self-described psychic [[Uri Geller]], whose claimed ability to bend spoons using telepathy Randi argued was achievable by any competent stage magician using ordinary sleight of hand. In a 1973 appearance on ''The Tonight Show'', Randi advised the production staff to supply Geller with their own props rather than his usual pre-prepared items; unable to manipulate the unfamiliar objects, Geller was unable to perform his claimed feats on air.<ref name="rollingstone" /> Randi documented his long-running case against Geller in his book ''The Truth About Uri Geller''.<ref name="handwiki" />

== CSICOP and the JREF ==
Randi was a founding member of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP) in 1976, alongside [[Ray Hyman]], [[Martin Gardner]], and [[Paul Kurtz]] — now the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI).<ref name="goodreads">{{cite web |title=James Randi (Author of Flim-Flam!) |url=https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/223987.James_Randi |website=Goodreads}}</ref> In 1996, he founded the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF), a non-profit dedicated to promoting critical thinking and investigating paranormal claims. The foundation went on to sponsor the "One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge," offering $1 million to anyone able to demonstrate a paranormal, supernatural, or occult ability under mutually agreed scientific test conditions. More than 1,000 people applied over the challenge's history; none succeeded, and it was formally retired in 2015 when Randi retired from the JREF at age 87.<ref name="syfy" /> From 2003, the JREF also ran an annual conference for skeptics, "The Amaz!ng Meeting" (TAM).<ref name="futurafeed">{{cite web |title=James Randi: The Unforgettable Legacy Of The Skeptic's Magician |url=https://futurafeed.com/the-life-and-legacy-of-james-randi/ |website=Futurafeed |date=31 March 2026}}</ref>

Although frequently described as a "debunker," Randi said he disliked the term's implications and preferred to describe himself as an "investigator."<ref name="goodreads" />

== Writing ==
Beyond ''The Truth About Uri Geller'', Randi's books include ''Flim-Flam!'' and ''The Faith Healers'', alongside a biography of Nostradamus and further reference works on major paranormal claims and figures.<ref name="handwiki" /> He was portrayed in the 2014 documentary ''An Honest Liar'', which chronicled his life and career.<ref name="magicianmasterclass">{{cite web |title=James Randi: A Magical Life of Debunking and Skepticism |url=https://www.magicianmasterclass.com/post/james-randi |website=Magician Masterclass}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
Randi was openly gay, coming out publicly in 2010 at age 81, and married his partner, José Alvarez, in 2013.<ref name="opendoubt" />

== Death and legacy ==
Randi died on 20 October 2020, aged 92, in [[Plantation]], [[:Category:Florida|Florida]].<ref name="rollingstone" /> He received a MacArthur "Genius" Grant and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry over the course of his career.<ref name="magicianmasterclass" /> Randi remains one of the most cited figures in the history of the skeptical movement, and his work directly shaped the investigative methods used by later skeptics documented across The Vault, including [[Ray Hyman]] and [[Susan Gerbic]].

== See also ==
* [[Skepticism]]
* [[Ray Hyman]]
* [[Susan Gerbic]]
* [[Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal]]
* [[Uri Geller]]
* [[Cold Reading]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/james-randi-obituary-1079316/ Rolling Stone — James Randi, Famed Magician and Paranormal Skeptic, Dead at 92]
* [https://opendoubt.com/people/james-randi Open Doubt — James Randi]

[[Category:Researchers]]