Born on this Clarence Day in 1938 , Robert"Evel " Knievelwas a stuntman who harbor audiences with his temerarious bike jumps . After his first jump in 1965 , Knievel up the ante , making multiple phonograph recording - breaking jumps ( and break myriad bones ) , all while wearing his signature leather jumpsuits . To fete what would have been his 80th natal day , we ’ve collect a tilt of eight of Knievel ’s good motorcycle jumps , from the spring at Las Vegas ’s Caesar ’s Palace to London ’s Wembley Stadium .
1. CAESAR’S PALACE
On the afternoon of New Year ’s Eve in 1967 , a bunch of thousands watched as Knievel attempted to ride his motorcycle across the Caesar ’s Palace fount in Las Vegas , Nevada . As he made the 141 - foot jump , the gang watched in horror as Knievel botched the landing . His body bounced on the ground like a rag doll , and an ambulance force back him to a local hospital . The stuntman suffered multiple fractures and a concussion , but his jump made him famous when ABC transmit TV of the bungled stunt .
2. MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
In 1971 , Knievel entertained an interview at the Auto Thrill Show at New York ’s Madison Square Garden . Riding a Harley Davidson motorcycle , he successfully stick out overa lineof nine railroad car and a avant-garde . And in his characteristically sporty flair , he wore a red , blanched , and blue leather jump suit .
3. LOS ANGELES COLISEUM
Knievel completed a perfect motorcycle parachuting in business district Los Angeles in 1973 . Held at the L.A. Coliseum , the upshot feature Knievel free his Harley Davidson motorcycle over 50 smashed cars stacked in a pile . Some 35,000 spectators in the amphitheater cheered as he safely made his landing andset a recordthat would stand for 35 years .
4. TWO LIONS AND A BOX OF RATTLESNAKES
In 1965 , the motorcyclist do his first public stunt . He engineer an upshot in Moses Lake , Washington featuring two passel lions and a boxwood of rattlesnakes . Driving his Honda motorcycle , Knievel acquit a 90 - foundation box of serpent and then jump-start over a couple of lions . speculate later on the beginning of his career , herememberedthat although he was unharmed , the jump did n’t go as swimmingly as plan . " I jumped 50 rattlesnakes in a 90 - foot box and two wad king of beasts , but smashed into the edge of the loge . All the snake in the grass pay off out and the people had to operate down the mountain , " he say .
5. COW PALACE
In 1972 , Knievel broke a disk by stand out over 15 cars in an arena near San Francisco , but after the successful landing place , he dash and slue through the short burrow run to the concessions . The crowd rushed after him , expecting him to be dead , but Knievel stood up ( despite a newly broken ankle ) andtoldthe crew : " If someone breaks this indoor disk by jumping more than 15 railroad car , I ’ll leap 16 or whatever the telephone number … even if it kills me . "
6. SNAKE RIVER CANYON
Idaho ’s Snake River Canyon was the internet site of Knievel ’s best - known stunt . Because he could n’t get governmental favourable reception to sit a motorcycle over the Grand Canyon , he settle for his second alternative : Snake River Canyon . In 1974 , Knievel judge to jump from one side of the canon to the other — a 1600 - animal foot encompassing col — but he did n’t ride a even bike . Instead , he used a steam - power rocket dubbed the Skycycle X-2 . After taking off , his parachute deploy too ahead of time , and the windanticlimacticallyblew him back toward the rocks . In September 2016 , stunt performer Eddie Braunsuccessfullyjumped over Snake River Canyon in a reproduction of Knievel ’s Skycycle .
7. WEMBLEY STADIUM
In May 1975 , after his disappointing carrying out at Snake River Canyon , Knievel went to London ’s Wembley Stadium to leap over a line of 13 single - decker buses . An estimated 80,000 people watched him as he attempt this 100 - mile - per - hour jump . Unfortunately , he crash - down on the last bus and bounced until he reach the flat coat . Despite his injuries , he ask to be helped up , took the mike , and made an annunciation . " I will never , ever , ever jump again , " he told the bunch . " I ’m through . "
8. KINGS ISLAND
Although Knievel assure the London interview that he was done after his Wembley jump , he came out of retirement a few months later . In October 1975 , he rode his bike over 14 Greyhound busbar at Ohio ’s Kings Island entertainment parking lot . After clearing 133 feet , Knievel landed safely , and the televised upshot earned huge ratings . Knievel continued performing stunt and doing oral presentation tours until the former ' LXXX , mostly while traveling with his daredevil son , Robbie Knievel .
This article in the beginning ran in 2016 .
