Uri Geller

Born in Israel on December 20, 1946, Uri Geller would go on to earn recognition as a paranormalist after an encounter at age four with a mysterious sphere of light that appeared to bestow telekinetic abilities. He refined these skills during his school years by demonstrating tricks to friends. Between the ages of 11 and 17 he resided in Cyprus, then returned to Israel in 1964 to enlist as a paratrooper. Wounded in combat during the Six-Day War of 1967, he subsequently took up work as a fashion model.

Public performances began for Geller toward the close of the decade, and his demonstrations of telepathy and psychokinesis rapidly turned him into a national phenomenon. A 1972 visit to Germany brought headlines when he halted a cable car in mid-air. Later that year astronaut Edgar Mitchell and scientist Andrija Puharich brought him to the United States for laboratory experiments later chronicled in the 1975 book The Geller Papers.

Television variety programs such as The Tonight Show and The Mike Douglas Show showcased his spoon- and key-bending feats, establishing him as an international celebrity and leading to the release of a self-titled LP in 1977.