Evel knievel’s 1974 snake river jump

How did evel knievel die

He successfully jumped his motorcycle times, but crash-landed into fame with the 15 he didn't. September 02, 17 min read. Editor's note: This story was first publised Sept. It's reposted here to mark its 50th. From dust to dust, Knievel was a man that rocketed to celebrity, peaking as a legend in his own time, and just as quickly came crashing back to earth.

For a time, no one was bigger. Not Elvis, not Sinatra, not the Beatles. Nobody did the TV numbers this daredevil from Montana did. The country had not seen a showman quite like Knievel — a big talker with even bigger balls who became a real-life superhero complete with the cape in red, white and blue. The late s saw America in turmoil, much like today.

The Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War and antiwar protests, countercultural movements, political assassinations and an emerging generation gap threatened to tear the nation apart. Along comes a hard-bitten kid from Butte with the swagger of John Wayne.