David Blaine, an American magician and stunt performer, made his name as a street performer and with close-up magic.

He began his career starting with street magic, as well as performing card tricks and illusions such as levitation or bringing dead flies back to life. Blaine used a small camera crew to record the acts live in front of everyday people which provided the basis for his television specials, known as David Blaine: Street Magic, David Blaine: Magic Man, and David Blaine: Mystifier.

With his talent and uncanny character, Blaine was able to draw up connections with ABC. After seeing a tape of his magic, they requested an interview and began development on a special. David Blaine: Street Magic,  his first special, was the start of a new era. His special was not about typical magician stuff; it was about the streets, real people, and David. The show was an instant success.

Blaine later turned his attention to feats of endurance; which included being buried alive for seven days, spending about 62 hours in a box made of ice, and standing on a 22 inch wide platform at the top of a 90 foot pole for almost 35 hours in Bryant Park, New York City. He also lived in a transparent Plexiglas case for 44 days without food, suspended 30 feet in the air over Potters Fields Park in London.

His latest stunt was being submerged in an 8 foot diameter, water-filled sphere in front of the Lincoln Center in New York for a planned seven days and seven nights, only having tubes for air and nutrition. He concluded this event by attempting to hold his breath underwater to break the world record of 8 minutes, 58 seconds.

He also attempted to free himself from handcuffs and chains he had put on upon surfacing after the week in the sphere. He seemed to have trouble escaping from the last of the handcuffs. David apparently held his breath for 7 minutes and 8 seconds before exhibiting signs of unconsciousness and was pulled up by the rescue divers, thus failing in his world record attempt. However Blaine did claim to have setting a record for longest time fully submerged in water which was for more than seven days straight (177 hours), however his record is yet to recognized by any record-keeping institution.