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Posted on October 7, 2008 by Roger Smith | Posted under Arts and Entertainment
The Legendary Daredevil Evel Knievel
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The Legend Begins at Caesar's Palace Evel Knievel drew some large crowds, but his popularity when into hyperdrive after his infamous daredevil stunt to jump over the fountains at Caesars Palace. On two wheels of fury during 1968, Evel Knievel barreled down a short track and lifted off a steep ramp flying high above the fountains of Caesar's Palace. In fact, clearing the fountains were not the problem- he accomplished this handily, the problem was landing. Unfortunately missing the landing ramp by about a tire, his bike careened into the ramp and started to roll, throwing Evel off the bike and careening towards the ground. His failure completely spectacular- caught be TV cameras would be shown around the world. Evel Knievel though surviving the fall, would be in a coma with plenty of broken bones for the month to come. However, when daredevil Evel Knievel would finally come out of his coma, he would be world famous and his jump legendary. The Many Jumps of Daredevil Evel Knievel Being a master showman, Evel Knievel became more popular due to his many failures than his actual successes, but even with plenty of broken bones (in which he holds the Guinness Book of World Record for- 433), he didn't stop taking chances and his stunts didn't get easier, but grander. Some of the stunts and failures that Evel was known for was his attempt to jump Snake Canyon, jumping over a pool of sharks, jumping over dozens of busses and much more. Just him and his Harley Davidson motorcycle were the only thing separating Evel from applause and death. Read More About Daredevil Evel Knievel at Smithsonian Magazine Interested in reading more about the life and stunts of daredevil Evel Knievel, the Smithsonian Magazine has an excellent article on the subject. To read it, please visit our main website. About The Author: http://www.smithsonianmag.com Smithsonian magazine is a monthly magazine created for modern, well-rounded individuals with diverse interests. It chronicles the arts, history, sciences and popular culture of the times. Each month, expect articles from the Smithsonian Institution's award-winning, monthly general interest magazine, plus exclusive Web articles, videos, blogs, photographs and more. |
Tags: CLEOPATRA, BLACK HOLES, DAREDEVIL, FORBIDDEN CITY, WRIGLEY FIELD, NATIONAL ARCHIVES, PARTHENON, GLACIER NATIONAL PARK, PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, DIANE ARB
