Uri Geller is an Israeli-British celebrity and performer who was born on December 20, 1946 in Tel Aviv, Israel. The son of Jewish parents who were from Austria and Hungary, he was named after a cousin who was slain in a bus accident. Geller has also stated that he is distantly related to the famed psychiatrist Sigmund Freud. He is most famous for claiming to have psychic abilities and paranormal powers, which he would supposedly go on to demonstrate in a number of televised performances. Geller says that he initially learned about his abilities when he was four years old, when a light from the sky knocked him down to he ground, and he broke a spoon with mental power.
His later demonstrations on television consisted of bending spoons, giving descriptions of concealed drawings, and making watches look as if they were running either slower or faster. Geller has claimed that he does these feats with willpower and the strength of his mind, though critics have debunked these as well-executed stage magic tricks. Prior to his fame as a psychic, he has served as a paratrooper in the Israeli armed forces, and was injured in action during the Six-Day War back in 1967.
(Photo courtesy of NBC)