Dai Vernon, also known as The Professor, was a famous Canadian magician. Due to his expertise and extensive knowledge, he was highly respected by many people including his fellow magicians. He had a great influence in the world of magic and was a mentor to many famous magicians. 

Dai was born on June 11, 1894, in Ontario, Canada. Originally, Dai was born as David Fredrick Verner. At the age of seven, his father took him to a magic show and this changed his life. From that day, he fell in love with magic. He was enthralled when he got an early edition of one of the most famous card book ever penned, The Expert at the Card Table. Dai processed the chapters of this book and by the time he was 13, he had memorized the book’s contents.

Fascinated with magic, he decided to become a professional conjurer while attending the Royal Military College of Canada. When he relocated to New York City, he changed his surname from Verner to Vernon as a nod to the popularity of dancer Vernon Castle and because New Yorkers tended to mispronounce his given name. In response to a typographical error in a newspaper advertisement for his stage act, he also decided to switch his first name from David to Dai. Despite his extreme youth, Vernon quickly gained acceptance among his fellow magicians, largely because of his astonishing versatility in the realm of close-up magic (cups and balls, linking rings, etc.) and card tricks.

In 1919, Dai Vernon heard Harry Houdini boast that no one could fool him if he saw a trick performed three times in a row. Vernon decided to challenge him. He performed “The Ambitious Card” trick seven times in a row and stumped Harry. After this encounter, Dai took the opportunity to advertise himself as “The Man Who Fooled Houdini” in the 1920s and 1930s.

During the height of his popularity as a stage attraction, Vernon performed at private parties for wealthy and influential clients, wrote numerous magazine articles, and turned out several books, among them Select Secrets (1941) and Malini and His Magic (1962). He also worked as a silhouette cutter in Atlantic City, N.J., and at other tourist attractions. He took particular pride in the fact that he never copied another magician’s effects, though his own work was extensively imitated by others.

In 1963, Dai Vernon became a founding member of the prestigious Magic Castle in Hollywood, California. The Magic Castle, a private club for magicians and magic enthusiasts, soon became the epicenter of the magic world, attracting the brightest and most talented performers. It was at the Magic Castle where Dai Vernon earned the nickname “The Professor” for his deep knowledge of magic, his commitment to teaching and mentoring younger magicians, and his role in shaping the future of the art. As The Professor, Dai spent countless hours in the Castle’s library and hosted weekly sessions, sharing his wisdom and techniques with aspiring magicians. Many renowned magicians, including Ricky Jay, Michael Ammar, Doug Henning and Lance Burton credit Dai Vernon as a significant influence on their careers.

In addition to his other activities, he wrote a regular column titled “The Vernon Touch” for Genii magazine well into his 90s. The four-volume The Vernon Chronicles (1987 - 1992) was gleaned from a series of interviews conducted by Richard Buffum in 1965.

Dai was among the most knowledgeable sleight of hand magicians that has ever lived. He has become the single most influential figure in modern magic, and he is also credited with inventing and improving many standard close-up effects with coins, card, cups and balls.

Dai Vernon spent his last few decades as a magician-in-residence at the Magic Castle. On August 21, 1992, he died in Ramona, California. He was cremated and his ashes are interred at the Magic Castle. He was 98 years old.