Today In History

Born Robert Craig Knievel, he changed his name to suit his personality and dangerous profession. Evel Kneivel was an American daredevil, entertainer, and international icon. Getting his start as the leader of a motorcycle stunt troupe called “Evel Kneivel’s Motorcycle Daredevils” in the 1960’s, Kneivel went out on his own, becoming famous for his death-defying motorcycle stunts. Between 1965-1980, Kneivel attempted over 75 spectacular ramp-to-ramp jumps, leaping his motorcycle over dangerous obstacles like snakes, sharks, and Greyhound buses. While his successful jumps were exciting to his thrill-seeking fans, his failed attempts and crashes were also record setting. The Guinness Book of World Records gave Evel Kneivel the distinction of surviving the ‘most broken bones in a lifetime’. On New Year’s Eve, 1967, crowds gathered to witness Kneivel’s motorcycle jump over the fountains of Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, which earned him recognition worldwide and a great amount of broken bones. The riskier the stunts, the more his legendary popularity grew. Grabbing the attention of millions of fans, Kevel attempted increasingly dangerous jumps including a famous failed try to jump across Idaho’s Snake River Canyon in 1974 in a rocket powered motorcycle. A great showman with a sense of style often compared to Elvis Presley, Evel Kneivel was known for his spectacular red, white and blue leather jumpsuits. The image of watching Kneivel roar his motorcycle up a ramp and catapult over impressive obstacles including 20 parked cars, earned him recognition as ‘America’s Daredevil’ - an international icon and a folk hero for the ages. Knievel was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999.