This article is about the stunt performer. For the wooden roller coaster by the same name, see Evel Knievel (roller coaster)

Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida during the 1970s
Born	Robert Craig Knievel October 17, 1938 (1938-10-17) Butte, Montana, USA
Died	November 30, 2007 (aged 69) Clearwater, Florida, USA
Cause of death	Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
Burial place	Butte, MT. This article is about the wooden roller coaster For the stunt performer by the same name see Evel Knievel Evel Knievel is a Wooden roller Fort Lauderdale, known as the "Venice of America" due to its expansive and intricate Canal system is a city in Broward County, Florida, Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the Events 539 BC - King Cyrus The Great of Persia marches into the city of Babylon, releasing the Jews from almost Year 1938 ( MCMXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Butte (IPA) is a city in and the County seat of Silver Bow County, Montana, United States. Montana ( is a state in the Western United States. One-third of the state in the western part contains numerous mountain ranges (approximately 77 named of the northern The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 1700 - Battle of Narva — A Swedish army of 8500 men under Charles XII defeats Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Clearwater is a City located in Pinellas County Florida, USA, nearly due west of Tampa and northwest of St Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the The United States of America —commonly referred to as the
Nationality	American
Occupation	Stunt performer
Net worth	60,000,000
Religious beliefs	Christian (2007)
Spouse	Linda Joan Bork (1959–1997) Krystal Kennedy (1999–2001)
Children	Kelly, Tracey, Alicia, Robbie
Parents	Robert Edward Knievel, Ann Kehoe
Website www.evelknievel.com

Robert Craig "Evel" Knievel (pronounced /ˈiːvəl kɨˈniːvəl/^[1]) (October 17, 1938 – November 30, 2007) was an American motorcycle daredevil, an entertainer famous in the United States and elsewhere between the late 1960s and early 1980s. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Robert Edward "Kaptain" Knievel (born May 7, 1962 in Butte Montana) is an American Daredevil and son of the legendary daredevil Events 539 BC - King Cyrus The Great of Persia marches into the city of Babylon, releasing the Jews from almost Year 1938 ( MCMXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1700 - Battle of Narva — A Swedish army of 8500 men under Charles XII defeats Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the MotorCycle is the title of a 1993 album by Rock band Daniel Amos, released on BAI Records. The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969 Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) Knievel's nationally televised motorcycle jumps, including his 1974 attempt to jump Snake River Canyon at Twin Falls, Idaho, represent four of the twenty most-watched ABC's Wide World of Sports events to date. Snake River Canyon is a large Canyon formed by the Snake River in the Magic Valley region of southern Idaho. For the motion picture see Twin Falls Idaho (film Twin Falls is the County seat and largest The State of Idaho ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States of America. ABC's Wide World of Sports was a long-running Sports Anthology show on American Television that ran as a series from 1961 to 1998 His achievements and failures, including his record forty broken bones, earned him several entries in the Guinness Book of World Records. Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records (and in previous U ^[2]

His son Robbie Knievel is also an accomplished motorcycle daredevil. Robert Edward "Kaptain" Knievel (born May 7, 1962 in Butte Montana) is an American Daredevil and son of the legendary daredevil

Contents 1 Early life 2 Daredevil 2.1 Caesars Palace 2.2 Snake River Canyon 3 Later daredevil career 4 Core Values 5 Marketing the image 6 Post-daredevil years 6.1 Conversion to Christianity 6.2 Evel Knievel: The Rock Opera 6.3 Six Flags Evel Knievel roller coaster 7 Declining health and death 8 Parody 9 References 10 External links

Early life

Robert Craig "Evel" Knievel was born in Butte, Montana, in 1938, the first of two children born to Robert E. Butte (IPA) is a city in and the County seat of Silver Bow County, Montana, United States. Montana ( is a state in the Western United States. One-third of the state in the western part contains numerous mountain ranges (approximately 77 named of the northern and Ann Kehoe Knievel. His surname is of German origin; his great-great-grandparents on his father's side emigrated to the United States from Germany. German Americans ( German: Deutschamerikaner) are citizens of the United States of Ethnic German ancestry ^[3] Robert and Ann divorced in 1940, after the birth of their second child, Nic. Both parents decided to leave Butte. Evel was raised by paternal grandparents, Ignatius and Emma Knievel. At the age of eight, Robert Knievel attended a Joie Chitwood Auto Daredevil Show, which he gave credit to for his later career choice, to become a motorcycle daredevil. George Rice "Joie" Chitwood ( April 14 1912 - January 3 1988) was an American racecar driver and businessman Almost every jump he did was on a Harley Davidson motorcycle.

Knievel ended high school after sophomore year and got a job in the copper mines with the Anaconda Mining Company as a diamond drill operator . Anaconda Copper Mining Company (until 1915 known as the Amalgamated Copper Mining Company) one of the largest trusts of the early 20th century which owned all the mines He was then promoted to surface duty where he drove a large earth mover. Engineering vehicles, known by the other terms construction Equipment, earth movers heavy equipment or just plain equipment are machines specifically designed to execute Knievel was dismissed when he made the earth mover do a motorcycle-type wheelie and drove it into Butte's main power line. In Vehicle Acrobatics, a wheelie is a trick where the front wheel or wheels come off the ground due to an excessive amount of torque being powered to the rear wheel The incident left the city without electricity for several hours. Idle, Knievel began to find himself in more and more trouble around Butte. After a police chase in 1956 in which he crashed his motorcycle, Knievel was taken to jail on a charge of reckless driving. Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. When the night jailer came around to check the roll, he noted Robert Knievel in one cell and William Knofel in the other. Knofel was well known as "Awful Knofel" ("awful" rhyming with "Knofel") so Knievel began to be referred to as Evel Knievel ("Evel" rhyming with "Knievel"). He chose this misspelling because of his last name and because he didn't want to be considered "evil. "

Always looking for new thrills and challenges, Knievel participated in local professional rodeos and ski-jumping events, including winning the Northern Rocky Mountain Ski Association Class A Men's ski jumping championship in 1957. Athletics Marathon August 17 &mdash Enschede Marathon, Netherlands Men's Winner During the late 1950s, Knievel joined the United States Army. The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. His athletic ability allowed him to join the track team where he was a pole vaulter. Pole vaulting is an athletic field event in which a person uses a long flexible pole (which today is usually made either of Fiberglass or Carbon fiber) After his army stint, Knievel returned to Butte where he met and married his first wife, Linda Joan Bork.

Shortly after getting married, Knievel (may have) left Butte to play minor pro hockey, joining the Charlotte Clippers of the Eastern Hockey League in 1959. Ice hockey, often referred to simply as hockey, is a team Sport played on Ice. The Baltimore Clippers were an American Ice hockey team They were the first of three Charm City entries into the American Hockey League, who played from The Eastern Hockey League was a minor professional United States Ice hockey league ^[4] (hockeydb. com has no record of this. )^[5][6] Realizing that he wasn't talented enough to make it into the National Hockey League and that the real money in sports was made by owning a team, Knievel returned to Butte and started the Butte Bombers, a semi-pro hockey team. The National Hockey League ( NHL) is a professional Ice hockey league composed of 30 teams in North America To help promote his team and earn some money, he convinced the 1960 Olympic Czechoslovakian hockey team to play the Butte Bombers in a warm-up game to the Olympics. The 1960 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VIII Olympic Winter Games, were a winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated between February Czechoslovakia may also refer to what is now the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Knievel was ejected from the game minutes into the third period and left the stadium. When the Czechoslovakian officials went to the box office to collect the expense money the team was promised, workers discovered the game receipts had been stolen. The U.S. Olympic Committee wound up paying the Czechoslovakian team's expenses to avoid an international incident.

After the birth of his first son, Kelly, Knievel realized that he needed to come up with a new way to support his family financially. Using the hunting and fishing skills his grandfather had taught him, Knievel started the Sur-Kill Guide Service. Hunting is the practice of pursuing Animals for Food, Recreation, or Trade. For the computer security term see Phishing. Fishing is the activity of catching Fish. He guaranteed that if a hunter employed his service and paid his fee, they would get the big game animal they wanted or he would refund their money. Game is any Animal hunted for Food or not normally domesticated (such as Venison) Business was very good until game wardens realized that Knievel was taking his clients into Yellowstone National Park to find prey. United States In the United States, game wardens are state or local officials responsible for enforcing Laws pertaining to the Hunting, As a result of this poaching, Knievel had to end the new business venture. Poaching is the illegal Hunting, Fishing or Harvesting of wild plants or animals

During December 1961, Knievel, who was learning about the culling of elk in Yellowstone Park, decided to hitchhike from Butte to Washington, D.C. to raise awareness and to have the elk relocated to areas where hunting was permitted. Culling is the 'selection' (removal and killing of surplus animals from an animal population The elk, or wapiti ( Cervus canadensis) is one of the largest Species of Deer in the world and one of the largest Mammals in Hitchhiker Program Hitchhiking (also known as thumbing, hitching, autostop or thumbing up a ride) is a means of Transportation Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D After his conspicuous trek (he hitchhiked with a 54-inch wide rack of elk antlers and a petition with 3,000 signatures), he presented his case to Representative Arnold Olsen, Senator Mike Mansfield, and Kennedy administration Interior Secretary Stewart Udall. The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. Arnold Olsen ( December 17, 1916 - October 11, 1990) was a US The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Michael Joseph Mansfield (March 16 1903 – October 5 2001 was an American Democratic politician and the longest-serving Majority Leader of the United States John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy (May 29 1917&ndashNovember 22 1963 often referred to by his initials JFK, was the thirty-fifth President of The United States Secretary of the Interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior. Stewart Lee Udall (born January 31, 1920) is a former American politician As a result of his efforts, the slaughter was stopped, and the animals have since been regularly captured and relocated to areas of Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho. Montana ( is a state in the Western United States. One-third of the state in the western part contains numerous mountain ranges (approximately 77 named of the northern The State of Wyoming ( is a sparsely populated state in the western region of the United States. The State of Idaho ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States of America. ^[7]

After returning home from Washington, Knievel decided to stop committing crime. He joined the motocross circuit and had moderate success, but he still couldn't make enough money to support his family. Motocross is a form of Motorcycle sport or All-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed Off road circuits During 1962, Knievel broke his collarbone and shoulder in a motocross accident. Artistic Gymnastics World Artistic Gymnastics Championships Men's all-around champion Yuri Titov, USSR The doctors said he couldn't race for at least six months. To help support his family, he switched careers and sold insurance for the Combined Insurance Company of America, working for W. Clement Stone. William Clement Stone ( May 4, 1902 &ndash September 3, 2002) was a prominent businessman philanthropist and self-help book author Stone suggested that Knievel read Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude, a book that Stone wrote with Napoleon Hill. Napoleon Hill ( October 26 1883 &ndash November 8 1970) was an American author who was one of the earliest producers of the modern Knievel credited much of his success to Stone and his book.

Knievel was successful as an insurance salesman (even selling insurance policies to several institutionalized mental patients) and wanted recognition for his efforts. When the company refused to promote him to vice-president after a few months on the job he quit. Wanting a new start away from Butte, Knievel moved his family to Moses Lake, Washington. Moses Lake is a city in Grant County, Washington, United States. There, he opened a Honda motorcycle dealership and promoted motocross racing. () is a Multinational corporation, engine Manufacturer and engineering corporation headquartered in Japan. During the early 1960s, it was difficult to promote Japanese imports. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. People still considered them inferior to American built motorcycles, and there was lingering resentment from World War II, which had ended fewer than 20 years earlier. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Once, Knievel offered a $100 discount to anybody who could beat him at arm wrestling. Arm wrestling is a sport with two participants Each participant places one arm both put either the right or left on a surface with their elbows bent and touching the surface Despite his best efforts the store eventually closed.

After the closure of the Moses Lake Honda dealership, Evel went to work for Don Pomeroy at his motorcycle shop in Sunnyside, Washington. Sunnyside is a city in Yakima County, Washington, United States. It is here where Jim Pomeroy, a well known motocross racer taught Knievel how to do a "wheelie" and ride while standing on the seat of the bike. Jim Pomeroy ( November 16 1952 in Sunnyside Washington - August 6, 2006 in Yakima Washington

Daredevil

Without a way to support his family, Knievel recalled the Joie Chitwood show he saw as a boy and decided that he could do something similar using a motorcycle. Promoting the show himself, Knievel rented the venue, wrote the press releases, set up the show, sold the tickets and served as his own master of ceremonies. After enticing the small crowd with a few wheelies, he proceeded to jump a twenty-foot-long box of rattlesnakes and two mountain lions. Rattlesnakes are a group of venomous Snakes, genera Crotalus and Sistrurus. The cougar ( Puma concolor) also puma, mountain lion, or panther, depending on region is a Mammal of the Felidae family Despite landing short and having his back wheel hit the box containing the rattlesnakes, Knievel managed to land safely.

Knievel realized to make any amount of real money he would need to hire more performers, stunt coordinators and other personnel so that he could concentrate on the jumps. With little money, he went looking for a sponsor and found one in Bob Blair, a distributor for Norton Motorcycles. Blair offered to provide the needed motorcycles, but he wanted the name changed from the Bobby Knievel and His Motorcycle Daredevils Thrill Show to Evil Knievel and His Motorcycle Daredevils. Knievel didn't want his image to be that of a Hells Angels rider, so he convinced Blair to allow him to use Evel instead of Evil. The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club ( HAMC) is a world-wide " one-percenter " motorcycle gang whose members typically ride Harley-Davidson

The debut of Knievel and his daredevils was on January 3, 1966, at the National Date Festival in Indio, California. Events 1431 - Joan of Arc is handed over to the Bishop Pierre Cauchon. Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. Indio California, is a US city located in the Coachella Valley of Southern California's Desert region California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The show was a huge success. Knievel received several offers to host the show after their first performance. The second booking was in Hemet, California, but was canceled due to rain. Hemet is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. The next performance was on February 10, in Barstow, California. Events 1355 - The St Scholastica's Day riot breaks out in Oxford, England, leaving 63 scholars and perhaps 30 locals dead Barstow is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. During the performance, Knievel attempted a new stunt where he would jump, spread eagle, over a speeding motorcycle. The spreadeagle or spread-eagle is the position in which a person has arms outstretched and legs apart figuratively resembling an Eagle with wings spread Knievel jumped too late and the motorcycle hit him in the groin, tossing him fifteen feet into the air. In Human anatomy, the groin areas are the two creases at the junction of the Torso with the Legs on either side of the Pubic He was placed in the hospital as a result of his injuries. When released, he returned to Barstow to finish the performance he had started almost a month earlier.

Knievel's daredevil show broke up after the Barstow performance because injuries prevented him from performing. After recovering, Knievel started traveling from small town to small town as a solo act. To get ahead of other motorcycle stunt people who were jumping animals or pools of water, Knievel started jumping cars. He began adding more and more cars to his jumps when he would return to the same venue in order to get people to come out and see him again. Knievel hadn't had a serious injury since the Barstow performance, but on June 19 in Missoula, Montana, he attempted to jump twelve cars and a cargo van. Events 1179 - The Norwegian Battle of Kalvskinnet outside Nidaros. The distance he had for takeoff didn't allow him to get up enough speed. His back wheel hit the top of the van while his front wheel hit the top of the landing ramp. Knievel ended up with a severely broken arm and several broken ribs. The crash and subsequent stay in the hospital were a publicity windfall.

With each successful jump, the public wanted him to jump one more car. On May 30, 1967, Knievel successfully cleared sixteen cars in Gardena, California. Events 1416 - The Council of Constance, called by the Emperor Sigismund a supporter of Antipope John XXIII burns Jerome of Prague following Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. Gardena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Then he attempted the same jump on July 28, 1967, in Graham, Washington, where he had his next serious crash. Events 1540 - Thomas Cromwell is executed at the order of Henry VIII of England on charges of Treason. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. Graham is a Census-designated place (CDP in Pierce County, Washington, United States. Landing his cycle on a panel truck that was the last vehicle, Knievel was thrown from his bike. This time he suffered a serious concussion. After a month, he recovered and returned to Graham on August 18 to finish the show; but the result was the same, only this time the injuries were more serious. Events 293 BC - The oldest known Roman temple to Venus is founded starting the institution of Vinalia Rustica. Again coming up short, Knievel crashed, breaking his left wrist, right knee, and two ribs.

Knievel finally received some national exposure when actor Joey Bishop had him on as a guest of The Joey Bishop Show. Joey Bishop ( February 3 1918 &ndash October 17 2007) was an American entertainer who was perhaps best known for being a member The Joey Bishop Show is an American Talk show which debuted on ABC on April 17, 1967 hosted by Joey Bishop All the attention not only brought larger paydays, but also female admirers.

Caesars Palace

While in Las Vegas, Nevada, to watch Dick Tiger fight a middleweight title fight, Knievel first saw the fountains at Caesars Palace and decided to jump them. Las Vegas ( Spanish: "The Meadows" is the most populous City in the state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally Nevada ( is a state located in the western region of the United States of America. Dick Tiger CBE (born Richard Ihetu August 14, 1929 - December 14 1971) was a boxer from Amaigbo Middleweight is a division or weight class, in Boxing. Early boxing history is less than exact but the middleweight designation seems to have begun in the 1840s Caesars Palace, sometimes referred to colloquially as simply Caesars, is a luxury Hotel and Casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise To get an audience with the casino's CEO Jay Sarno, Knievel created a fictitious corporation called Evel Knievel Enterprises and three fictitious lawyers to make phone calls to Sarno. A chief executive officer ( CEO) or chief executive is typically the highest-ranking corporate officer ( executive) or administrator Jay Sarno (1922 – 1984 was a Las Vegas business entrepreneur who owned several high-profile Hotels He was the creator of the Caesars Palace hotel and Knievel also placed phone calls to Sarno claiming to be from ABC-TV and Sports Illustrated inquiring about the jump. The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network. Sports Illustrated is an American Sports Magazine owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Sarno finally agreed to meet Knievel and the deal was set for Knievel to jump the fountains on December 31, 1967. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. After the deal was set, Knievel tried to get ABC to air the event live on Wide World of Sports. ABC declined, but said that if Knievel had the jump filmed and it was as spectacular as he said it would be, they would consider using it later.

Knievel used his own money to have actor/director John Derek produce a film of the Caesars' jump. John Derek ( August 12, 1926 – May 22, 1998) was an American Actor, director and Photographer To keep costs low, Derek used his then-wife Linda Evans as one of the camera operators. Linda Evans (born Linda Evenstad on November 18 1942 in Hartford Connecticut) is a Golden Globe -winning and Emmy nominated American Actress It was Evans who filmed Knievel's famous landing. On the morning of the jump, Knievel stopped in the casino and placed a single $100 dollar bet on the blackjack table (which he lost), stopped by the bar and had a shot of Wild Turkey and then headed outside where he was joined by several members of the Caesars staff, as well as two scantily clad showgirls. A casino is in the modern sense of the word a facility that houses and accommodates certain types of Gambling activities Blackjack (also known as Twenty-one, Vingt-et-un (French for Twenty-one or Pontoon) is the most widely played casino banking Wild Turkey is a brand of Kentucky straight Bourbon whiskey distilled and bottled by the Austin Nichols division of Pernod Ricard. A showgirl is a Dancer or Performer in a stage entertainment show After doing his normal pre-jump show and a few warm up approaches, Knievel began his real approach. When he hit the takeoff ramp, he felt the motorcycle unexpectedly decelerate. The sudden loss of power on the takeoff caused Knievel to come up short and land on the safety ramp which was supported by a van. This caused the handlebars to be ripped out of his hands as he tumbled over them onto the pavement where he skidded into the Dunes parking lot. The Dunes Hotel was a Paradise Nevada, hotel and casino that operated from May 23, 1955 to January 26, 1993, and was the tenth As a result of the crash, Knievel suffered a crushed pelvis and femur, fractures to his hip, wrist and both ankles and a concussion that kept him in a coma for 29 days. In Medicine, a coma (from the Greek koma, meaning deep sleep is a profound state of Unconsciousness. After his crash and recovery Knievel was more famous than ever. ABC-TV bought the rights to the film of the jump paying far more than they originally would have had they televised the original jump live. Ironically, when Knievel finally achieved the fame and possible fortune that he always wanted, his doctors were telling him that he might never walk without the aid of crutches, let alone ride and jump motorcycles. To keep his name in the news, Knievel started describing his biggest stunt ever, a motorcycle jump across the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon Just five months after his near fatal crash, Knievel performed another jump. On May 25, 1968, in Scottsdale, Arizona, Knievel crashed while attempting to jump fifteen Mustangs. Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Scottsdale ( O'odham Vaṣai S-vaṣonĭ; Yaqui Eskatel) is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, The State of Arizona ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. The Ford Mustang sports coupe, manufactured by the Ford Motor Company, was initially based on the Ford Falcon Knievel ended up breaking his right leg and foot as a result of the crash.

On August 3, 1968, Knievel returned to jumping, making more money than ever before. Events 8 - Roman Empire General Tiberius defeats Dalmatians on the river Bathinus. Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He was earning approximately $25,000 per performance, and he was making successful jumps almost weekly until October 13, in Carson City, Nevada. Events 54 - Nero ascends to the Roman throne 409 - Vandals and Alans crossed the Pyrenees While trying to stick the landing, he lost control of the bike and crashed again, breaking his hip once more.

Snake River Canyon

By 1971, Knievel realized that the United States government would never allow him to jump the Grand Canyon. To keep his fans interested, Knievel considered several other stunts that might match the publicity that would have been generated by jumping the canyon; ideas included: jumping across the Mississippi River, jumping from one skyscraper to another in New York City and jumping over 13 cars inside the Houston Astrodome. The Mississippi River is the second longest River in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to For the aeronautical use see Astrodome (aviation Reliant Astrodome, also known as the Houston Astrodome or simply the Astrodome While flying back to Butte from a performance tour, Knievel looked out the window and saw Snake River Canyon. After finding a location near Twin Falls, Idaho, that was both wide enough, deep enough and on private property, Knievel leased 300 acres (1. 2 km²) for $35,000 to stage his jump. He set the date for Labor Day (4 September), 1972. Labor Day is a United States Federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September Events 476 - Romulus Augustus, last emperor of the Western Roman Empire, is deposed when Odoacer proclaims himself

On January 7 and January 8, 1971, Knievel set the record by selling over 100,000 tickets to back-to-back performances at the Houston Astrodome. Events 1325 - Alfonso IV becomes King of Portugal. 1558 - France takes Calais, the last continental Events 871 - Battle of Ashdown - Ethelred of Wessex defeats a Danish invasion army Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. On February 28, he set a new world record by jumping 19 cars in Ontario, California. Events 202 BC - coronation ceremony of Liu Bang as Emperor Gaozu of Han takes place initiating four centuries of the Han Dynasty 's rule On May 10, Knievel crashed while attempting to jump 13 Pepsi delivery trucks. Events 1291 - Scottish Nobles recognize the authority of Edward I of England. His approach was complicated by the fact that he had to start on pavement, cut across grass, and then return to pavement. His lack of speed caused the motorcycle to come down front wheel first. He managed to hold on until the cycle hit the base of the ramp. After being thrown off he skidded for 50 feet (15 m). Knievel broke his collarbone, suffered a compound fracture of his right arm and broke both legs.

Knievel continued to jump and promote his Labor Day assault on Snake River Canyon. On March 3, 1972 at the Cow Palace in Daly City, California, Knievel got into a scuffle with a couple of Hells Angels in the audience. Events 1284 - Statute of Rhuddlan incorporated the Principality of Wales into England 1575 - Indian Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Cow Palace (originally known as the California State Livestock Pavilion) is an indoor arena in Daly City California, situated on the border of Daly City is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States with a 2000 population of 103621 After making a successful jump, he tried to come to a quick stop because of a short landing area. Knievel suffered a broken back and a concussion after getting thrown off and run over by his motorcycle, a Harley-Davidson.

ABC Sports was unwilling to pay the price Knievel wanted for the canyon jump, so he ended up hiring Bob Arum's company, Top Rank Productions, to put the event on closed circuit television, which was broadcast to movie theaters. Arum partnered with Invest West Sports, Shelly Saltman's company, in order to secure from Invest West Sports two things: 1. Sheldon “Shelly” Arthur Saltman (born August 17, 1931 in Boston, Massachusetts) is a promoter of major sports and entertainment events including ) the necessary financing for the jump and 2. ) the services of Sheldon Saltman, long recognized as one of America's premier public relations and promotion men, to do publicity so that Knievel could concentrate on his jumps. Knievel then hired subcontractor aeronautical engineer Doug Malewicki to build him a rocket-powered cycle that he could use to jump across the Snake river. North American Aviation was a major US Aircraft manufacturer, responsible for a number of historic aircraft including the T-6 Texan trainer the Douglas (or Doug Malewicki is an American aerospace engineer and inventor It was to be called the X-1 Skycycle. Doug's creation was powered by a steam engine built by former Aerojet engineer Robert Truax. Captain Robert C Truax ( USN) was a rocket engineer in the US On April 15, 1972 the X-1 was launched to test the feasibility of the launching ramp. The decision was then made to have Truax build the next Skycycle dubbed the X-2 and have it take off and fly more like a rocket than a motorcycle.

The launch at Snake River Canyon was on September 8, 1974 at 3:36 p. m. local time. The steam that powered the engine had to get up to a temperature of 500 °F. Upon take-off, the drogue parachute accidentally deployed when the bolts holding the cover for the chute stripped out with the force of the blast. The deployed chute caused enough drag that even though the skycycle made it all the way across the canyon, the prevailing winds caused it to drift back into the canyon. By the time it hit the bottom of the canyon, it landed only a few feet from the water on the side of the canyon it had been launched from. If he had landed in the water, Knievel would have drowned due to a jumpsuit/harness malfunction which kept him strapped in the vehicle. Knievel survived the jump with only minor injuries.

Later daredevil career

On May 26, 1975, in front of 90,000 people at Wembley Stadium in London, Knievel crashed while trying to land a jump over thirteen redundant single-deck AEC Merlin buses (the term "London Buses" used in earlier publicity had led to the belief that the attempt was to be made over the higher and more traditional Routemaster double-deck type). Events 451 - The Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. original Wembley Stadium was a football Stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. RM Routemaster profilejpg|thumb|right|Routemaster in profile]] The AEC Routemaster is a model of Double-decker bus that was introduced by Associated Equipment Company After the crash, despite breaking his pelvis, Knievel addressed the audience and announced his retirement. After recuperating, Knievel decided that he had spoken too soon, and that he would continue jumping. On October 25, 1975, Knievel successfully jumped fourteen Greyhound buses at Kings Island, Ohio. Events 1147 - The Portuguese, under Afonso I, and Crusaders from England and Flanders conquer Lisbon after a Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Greyhound Lines is an intercity Common carrier of passengers by Bus serving over 3700 destinations in the United States. Kings Island is a 364-acre (15 km² Theme park located in the city of Mason, in Warren County Ohio, USA. Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads This event scored the highest viewer ratings in the history of ABC's Wide World of Sports. After this jump, he again announced his retirement. Evel jumped on October 31, 1976 at the Seattle Kingdome. Events 445 BC – Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 91 NLTse Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He only jumped seven Greyhound Buses but it was a success. Despite the crowd's pleasure, Knievel felt that it was not his best jump, and apologized to the crowd.

Knievel made only a few daredevil appearances after that, jumping for the last time in March 1981 in Hollywood, Florida. Hollywood is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the

Core Values

One of Evel's qualities was that he had great pride in his core values. Throughout his career (and later life), he would repeatedly talk about the importance of "keeping his word" ^[8]. He stated that although he knew he may not successfully make a jump or even survive the canyon jump, he followed through with each stunt because he gave his word that he would. Knievel would regularly share is his anti-drug message, as it was another one of his core values ^[9]. Knievel would preach an anti-drug message to children and adults before each of his stunts. Even the plot to his only motion picture, "Viva Knievel", centered around druglords. Viva Knievel! is a 1977 Action movie starring Evel Knievel (as himself Gene Kelly, and Lauren Hutton.

Marketing the image

Knievel sought to make more money off of his image. He was no longer satisfied with just receiving free motorcycles to jump with. Knievel wanted to be paid to use and promote a company's brand of motorcycles. After Triumph, the motorcycle company he had been jumping with refused to meet his demands, Knievel started to propose the idea to other manufacturers. Triumph Motorcycles is a British Motorcycle manufacturer originally based in Coventry. American Eagle Motorcycles was the first company to sign Knievel to an endorsement deal. American Eagle Manufacturing Company Inc is a US-based manufacturer of custom high-end Motorcycles located in Carlsbad California. At approximately the same time, Fanfare Films started production of The Evel Knievel Story, a 1971 movie starring George Hamilton as Knievel. George Hamilton (born in Memphis Tennessee on August 12, 1939) is an American Film and Television Actor and occasional

Knievel kept up his pursuit of getting the United States government to allow him to jump the Grand Canyon. The federal government of the United States is the central United States Governmental body established by the United States Constitution. To push his case, he hired famed San Francisco defense attorney Melvin Belli to fight the legal battle in obtaining government permission. Melvin Mouron Belli ( 29 July, 1907, Sonora California &ndash 9 July, 1996 ABC's Wide World of Sports started showing Knievel's jumps on television regularly. His popularity, especially with young boys, was ever increasing. He became a hero to a generation of young boys, many of whom were injured trying to imitate his stunts. A. J. Foyt made Knievel part of his pit crew for the Indianapolis 500 in 1970. Anthony Joseph Foyt Jr (born January 16, 1935, in Houston, Texas) is a retired American Automobile racing driver In motorsports a pit stop is where a racing Vehicle stops in the pits during a race for refuelling new Tires repairs mechanical adjustments The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, often shortened to Indianapolis 500 or Indy 500, and historically known simply as "The 500" is an American Evel Knievel's huge fame caused him to start traveling with a bodyguard, Boots Curtis. Curtis became a long time friend to Knievel.

Later in the decade, the merchandising of the Knievel image reached additional media. Ideal Toys released a bendable Knievel action figure in 1974; along with a host of accessories, there was also a female counterpart available—Derry Daring. Ideal Toy Company was founded as Ideal Novelty and Toy Company in New York in 1907 by Morris and Rose Michtom after they had invented the Teddy bear ^[10] In 1977, Bally marketed its Knievel pinball machine as the "first fully electronic commercial game"; it has elsewhere been described as one of the "last of the classic pre-digital games. This article is about the Bally company a manufacturer of slot machines and pinball machines "^[11]

Knievel made several television appearances, including a guest spot on The Bionic Woman where he played himself. The Bionic Woman is an American television series which spun off from The Six Million Dollar Man. He was a frequent guest on talk shows such as Dinah! and Johnny Carson's Tonight Show. Dinah! (called Dinah & Friends from 1979 - 1980) was a daytime Talk show hosted by singer and actress Dinah John William “Johnny” Carson ( October 23, 1925 &ndash January 23, 2005) was an American Television host and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson was a late-night talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under the ''Tonight Show'' franchise from 1962 On January 31, 1977, during a dress rehearsal for a CBS special on live daredevil stunts at the Chicago International Amphitheatre, Knievel crashed, breaking both arms and his collarbone. Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. In the process, a misplaced cameraman was injured, losing an eye. In June 1977, Warner Bros. released Viva Knievel!, a movie starring Knievel as himself and co-starring Lauren Hutton, Gene Kelly, and Red Buttons. Warner Bros Entertainment Inc (or Warner Bros, Warner Bros Pictures) is one of the world's largest producers of Film and Viva Knievel! is a 1977 Action movie starring Evel Knievel (as himself Gene Kelly, and Lauren Hutton. Lauren Hutton (born November 17, 1943, in Charleston South Carolina) is an American former Supermodel and occasional Actress Eugene Curran “Gene” Kelly ( August 23, &ndash February 2,) was an American Dancer, Actor, Singer, director Red Buttons ( February 5, 1919 &ndash July 13, 2006) was an American comedian and Actor. The movie was a box office smash.

While Knievel was healing from his latest round of injuries, the book Evel Knievel on Tour was released. Authored by Knievel's promoter for the Snake River Canyon jump, Shelly Saltman, the book painted a less than perfect picture of Knievel's character and alleged he abused his wife and kids and he used drugs. Knievel, with both arms still in casts, flew to California to confront Saltman, a VP at Twentieth Century Fox. Outside the studio commissary, one of Knievel's friends grabbed Saltman and held him, while Knievel attacked him with an aluminum baseball bat, declaring, "I'm going to kill you!" According to a witness to the attack, Knievel struck repeated blows at Saltman's head, with Saltman blocking the blows with his left arm. A baseball bat is a smooth wooden or metal club used in the game of Baseball to hit the ball after the ball is thrown by the pitcher. Saltman's arm and wrist were shattered in several places before he fell to the ground unconscious. It took numerous surgeries and permanent metal plates in his arm to eventually give Saltman back the use of his arm. Sheldon Saltman's book was pulled from the shelves by the publisher after Knievel threatened to sue. Saltman later produced documents in both criminal and civil court that proved that, although Knievel claimed to have been insulted by statements in Saltman's book, he and his lawyers had actually been given editorial access to the book and had approved and signed off on every word prior to its publication. On October 14, 1977, Knievel pleaded guilty to battery and was sentenced to three years probation and six months in the county jail, during which he publicly flaunted his brief incarceration for the press as just one more publicity stunt. Events 1066 - Norman Conquest: Battle of Hastings - In England on Senlac Hill seven miles from Hastings, the forces Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays

Post-daredevil years

With no income, Knievel was eventually forced to declare bankruptcy. Bankruptcy is a legally declared inability or impairment of ability of an individual or organization to pay their Creditors Creditors may file a bankruptcy petition against In 1981, Saltman was awarded a $13 million judgment against Knievel in a civil trial but never received money from Knievel's estate.

Knievel made a significant marketing comeback in the 1990s, representing Maxim Casino, Little Caesar's, Harley-Davidson, and other firms. The Westin Casuarina Las Vegas Hotel Casino & Spa is a Resort and Casino in Las Vegas Nevada. Little Caesars is a Pizza restaurant chain in the United States. Harley-Davidson Motor Company ( formerly HDI is an American manufacturer of Motorcycles based in Milwaukee Wisconsin.

In 1993, Evel Knievel was diagnosed with hepatitis C, apparently contracted during one of his many reconstructive surgeries. Hepatitis C is a blood-borne infectious disease that is caused by the Hepatitis C virus ( HCV) affecting the Liver. Knievel needed a liver transplant in 1999 as a result of the condition. Liver transplantation or hepatic transplantation is the replacement of a diseased Liver with a healthy liver Allograft.

In 1999, Knievel was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame. The Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum is located near Columbus Ohio, United States suburb of Pickerington.

On November 19, 1999, on a special platform built on the fountains at Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas Strip near Las Vegas, Nevada (site of Evel’s jump New Year's Eve 1967), Evel married long time girlfriend, 30-year-old Krystal Kennedy of Clearwater, Florida. Events 1095 - The Council of Clermont, called by Pope Urban II to discuss sending the First Crusade to the Holy Land Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) The Las Vegas Strip (also known as The Strip) is an approximately 4 mile (6 Krystal's twin sister Shawn (Kennedy) Marsh served as Maid of Honor and standing up for Evel was his oldest son Kelly Knievel. Long-time friend Engelbert Humperdinck sent a recorded tribute to the couple. Engelbert Humperdinck (born Arnold George Dorsey, May 2 1936, Madras India) is a well-known British - American They were divorced in 2001 but remained together until his death.

On July 27, 2006, on The Adam Carolla Show, Knievel said that he had idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and required supplemental oxygen therapy 24 hours a day. Events 1214 - Battle of Bouvines: In France, Philip II of France defeats John of England. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The Adam Carolla Show is a syndicated morning radio program which began airing on January 3, 2006. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF, also known as cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis, is a Chronic, progressive interstitial lung disease with an unknown Oxygen therapy is the administration of Oxygen as a therapeutic modality

On July 28, 2006, at Evel Knievel Days in Butte, Robbie jumped 196 feet in a tribute to his father, Evel. Events 1540 - Thomas Cromwell is executed at the order of Henry VIII of England on charges of Treason. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Robbie also appeared on stage with his father.

Shortly before his death, Knievel was saluted by Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond for a BBC2 Christmas special. Top Gear is a BAFTA, multi- NTA and International Emmy Award -winning BBC Television series about motor vehicles mainly Richard Mark Hammond (born 19 December 1969 nicknamed " Hamster " is a British Presenter of Radio and Television, The sixty minute programme Richard Hammond Meets Evel Knievel aired on December 23, 2007. Richard Hammond Meets Evel Knievel is a one-off television documentary presented by Richard Hammond and first broadcast on 23 December 2007 on Events 962 - Byzantine-Arab Wars: Under the future Emperor Nicephorus Phocas, Byzantine troops stormed the city Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The documentary was filmed in the summer of 2007 around the annual "Evel Knievel Days" festival in his old home town of Butte, but throughout the program it was clear that Knievel was in severely declining health. However, one conclusion that was also made was that Knievel had the same spirit and showmanship that had driven his career, demonstrated by his unerring loyalty to his fans.

Conversion to Christianity

On April 1, 2007, Knievel appeared on Rev. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Robert H. Schuller's Hour of Power television program and announced that he "believed in Jesus Christ" for the first time. The Reverend Robert Harold Schuller, (born September 16, 1926) is an American televangelist and pastor known around the world through his The Hour of Power is a weekly Christian Television program now hosted by Robert A Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) ^[12]

At his request, he was baptized before the congregation and TV cameras by Dr. Schuller, Founding Pastor of the Crystal Cathedral. The Crystal Cathedral is a Protestant Christian Megachurch in the city of Garden Grove, in Orange County California. Christianity Today reported that "…Knievel's testimony triggered mass baptisms at the Crystal Cathedral. Christianity Today is an Evangelical Christian Periodical based in Carol Stream Illinois. "^[13]

Evel Knievel: The Rock Opera

In 2003, Knievel signed over exclusive rights to Los Angeles composer Jef Bek, authorizing the production of a rock opera based on Knievel's life. ^[14][15] Directed by Bat Boy co-creator Keythe Farley, the production opened in Los Angeles in September of 2007 to excellent reviews. Bat Boy The Musical is an Off-Broadway and West End musical. The Weekly World News story about a half-boy half- Bat ^[16][17]

Six Flags Evel Knievel roller coaster

Evel Knievel had partnered with Six Flags St. Louis to name a new wooden coaster after "America's Legendary Daredevil. Six Flags St Louis (formerly known as Six Flags over Mid-America, initialized sfstl) is an Amusement park owned by Six Flags, Inc "^[18] The amusement park in Eureka, Missouri, outside of St. Louis, Missouri, will open the ride on July 3, 2008. Eureka is a city located in St Louis County Missouri, United States, between St Events in July The traditional period known as "fence month" (the closed season for deer in England ended July 9 (date varied Year 3 ( III) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common

Declining health and death

In the late 1990s, Knievel's health began declining steadily. Knievel had a life-saving liver transplant in February 1999 as a result of suffering the long-term effects from Hepatitis C. Hepatitis C is a blood-borne infectious disease that is caused by the Hepatitis C virus ( HCV) affecting the Liver. He contracted the disease after one of the numerous blood transfusions he received prior to 1992. In 2005, he was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, an incurable and terminal lung disease that required him to be on supplemental oxygen 24 hours a day. In 2006, Evel had an internal morphine pain pump surgically implanted to help him with the excruciating pain in his deteriorated lower back, one of the costs of incurring so many traumas over the course of his career as a daredevil. Medical uses Morphine can be used as an analgesic in hospital settings to relieve pain in Myocardial infarction pain in He also had two strokes since 2005, but neither left him with severe debilitation. ^[19]

Knievel died in Clearwater, Florida on November 30, 2007, aged 69. Clearwater is a City located in Pinellas County Florida, USA, nearly due west of Tampa and northwest of St Events 1700 - Battle of Narva — A Swedish army of 8500 men under Charles XII defeats Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. He had been suffering from diabetes and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis for many years. Diabetes mellitus (ˌdaɪəˈbiːtiːz or /ˌdaɪəˈbiːtəs/ /məˈlaɪtəs/ or /ˈmɛlətəs/ often referred to simply as diabetes ( Ancient Greek: grc ^[20] Longtime friend reported that Knievel had trouble breathing while at his residence in Clearwater, but died before the ambulance could reach the hospital. "It's been coming for years, but you just don't expect it. Superman just doesn't die, right?" ^[21] In his last interview, he told Maxim Magazine, "You can’t ask a guy like me why [I performed]. I really wanted to fly through the air. I was a dare­devil, a performer. I loved the thrill, the money, the whole macho thing. All those things made me Evel Knievel. Sure, I was scared. You gotta be an asshole not to be scared. But I beat the hell out of death. "^[22]

Knievel was buried at Mountain View Cemetery in his hometown of Butte, Montana on December 10, 2007 following a funeral at the 7,500-seat^[23] Butte Civic Center presided over by Rev. Events 1041 - Empress Zoe of Byzantium elevates her adoptive son to the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire as Michael V Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The Butte Civic Center is a 7500-seat multi-purpose Arena in Butte Montana, USA. Robert Schuller. Prior to the Monday service, fireworks exploded in the Butte night sky as pallbearers carried Knievel's casket into the center. ^[24]

Parody

Knievel's daredevil persona was parodied as "Super Dave Osborne," a fictional character played by Bob Einstein whose signature is to perform outrageous stunts which invariably go awry and result in grievous injury. Super Dave Osborne is a character created and played by comedian Bob Einstein. Robert "Bob" Einstein (born November 20, 1942, in Los Angeles California) is an American Actor and comedy Writer

Knievel was also parodied in the episode "Bart the Daredevil" on the Simpsons in the guise of "Captain Lance Murdock. " Bart the Daredevil " is the eighth episode of The Simpsons ' second season. " Murdock is a motorcycle daredevil whom Bart meets and is inspired by. Bart turns to daredevilism on his skateboard. The climax of the episode is when Bart attempts to jump his skateboard across "Springfield Gorge," an obvious parody of the Snake River Canyon jump. ^[25]

The recurring character of Ernie Devlin from Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law is also a parody of Knievel. Harvey Birdman Attorney at Law is a North American Animated television series comedy created by Williams Street that airs on Cartoon Always seen on a motorcycle, with an overweight prostitute, he was sued for children imitating his stunts. Ernie Devlin himself, was the lead character of a 1974 Hanna-Barbera animated series of the same name, which was created to cash in on the Knievel/stuntman adulation of that time period. Devlin is an animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera for ABC in 1974

Knievel also appears in the film Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery, in which he is frozen along with Vanilla Ice and Austin Powers. Austin Powers International Man of Mystery, released in 1997, is the first Film of the Austin Powers series. Robert Matthew Van Winkle (born October 31, 1967) best known as Vanilla Ice, is an American Rap artist known for the 1990 smash hit Sir Austin Danger Powers, KBE, is a Fictional character from the Austin Powers series of films

Knievel has also been copied by Marvel Comics for the famous character Ghost Rider. Marvel Comics is an American comic book company owned by Marvel Publishing Inc His troop is known as "The Daredevils". Most of their scenes are based on Knievel's stunts, and in the movie Johnny Blaze's costume is the same as Knievel's. Johnny Blaze may refer to Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze, second Marvel Comics character called Ghost Rider Johnny Blaze ring name of John Hennigan

Knievel has been parodied in Kanye West's music video "Touch the Sky. Kanye Omari West (ˈkɑnjɛj born June 8 1977 is a ten-time Grammy Award -winning American Rapper, Record producer and Singer. "

Knievel has been parodied in South Park's Pinkeye episode as Chef portrays Knievel in a Halloween costume. South Park is an animated American television comedy series created and written by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for Comedy Central " Pinkeye " is the seventh episode of Comedy Central 's animated series South Park. Halloween, or Hallowe’en, is a Holiday celebrated on the night of October 31.

He is also shown in Disney Channel's "The Replacements" as Dick Daring, a overactive stuntsman that performs stunts and wears an outfit very similar to Evel Knievels. For the Disney Channel in other countries see Disney Channel around the world.

In the 2008 The Mr. Men, Little Miss Daredevil (created for the series) is seen wearing a similar crash helmet and pulling off stunts in a similar vein to Evel Knievel's more famous stunts.

The 2007 movie "Hot Rod" with Andy Samberg parodies Evel Knievel, with the main character attempting to become a stunt man and clear 15 buses to save his father.

The makers of MTV's Jackass, in collaboration with Matt Hoffman, will release a tribute to the late stunt man. The boys of Jackass attempt to set world records and emulate one of their heroes.

References

External links

• Official Website
• Obituary in The Times, 3 December 2007
• Evel Knievel Days
• Evel Knievel on ABC's Wide World of Sports
• Evel Knievel TV Movie
• Evel Knievel at the Internet Movie Database
• Evel Knievel: The Rock Opera, a rock musical about Knievel's life, running in Los Angeles starting September 2007.
• Michael Roscoe, Evel Knievel: Motorcycle daredevil famed for his bone-breaking jumps (Obituary), The Independent, 3 December 2007
• Final Taxi podcast on Evel Knievel

Persondata
NAME	Robert Craig Knievel, Jr.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Evel Knievel
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Motorcycle Daredevil
DATE OF BIRTH	October 17, 1938
PLACE OF BIRTH	Butte, Montana, United States of America
DATE OF DEATH	November 30, 2007
PLACE OF DEATH	Clearwater, Florida, United States of America

MotorCycle is the title of a 1993 album by Rock band Daniel Amos, released on BAI Records. Events 539 BC - King Cyrus The Great of Persia marches into the city of Babylon, releasing the Jews from almost Year 1938 ( MCMXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Butte (IPA) is a city in and the County seat of Silver Bow County, Montana, United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 1700 - Battle of Narva — A Swedish army of 8500 men under Charles XII defeats Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Clearwater is a City located in Pinellas County Florida, USA, nearly due west of Tampa and northwest of St The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

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