Evel Knievel become a legendary name and achieved cult status due to the death-defying stunts he performed in the 1960s and 70s. In one of these he attempted a motorcycle jump over Snake River Canyon in Idaho.
Evel Knievel always had a massive audience when he tried to jump over rows of parked vehicles on his motorbike, and he explained his popularity by saying: "They started out watching me bust my ass, and I became part of their lives."
In 1968, Evel Knievel attempted a motorcycle jump over the fountains at the Caesars Palace casino in Las Vegas but he crashed and ended up in a coma for 29 days.
By the time he retired in 1980 stunt motorcyclist Evel Knievel had broken nearly 40 bones.
