Stunt legend Evel Knievel's unfortunate record after he broke his bones hundreds of times

Out of all the Guinness World Records titles that you could try to beat, I bet you wouldn’t want to beat this one!

Robert Craig Knievel (USA), better known as Evel Knievel, was one of the most famous and daring stuntmen in history. His career began in 1965 when he started performing with the members of his stunt group, called Evel Knievel’s Motorcycle Daredevils.

1966 was when Knievel’s solo career really made its first big jump, and during his first solo tour, he launched himself over two pickup trucks at a festival in Indio, California.

His career involved many incredible stunts; for example, in 1967, he managed to jump over 15 automobiles in Gardena, California. This was the first appearance of Knievel on TV, and he leapt into the spotlight on ABC’s Wide World of Sports.

One of his most popular performances took place at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas on New Year’s Day in 1968. This opportunity launched his stardom even further, and he astonishingly jumped over the fountain at the palace; however, he did not stick the landing!

The way that he crashed on the descent of his jump caused him to fracture his skull, something that would, unfortunately, become a very common occurrence.

1974 brought an incredible effort to cross the Snake River Canyon in Idaho, USA, which is 485 m (1,600 ft) wide and 180 m (600 ft) deep. He crossed over the river in a rocket, and it is said that this incredible feat increased his lifetime earnings by $6 million, which would work out then around £2.54 million.

With fans all over the world, his popularity began to rise, and he was known for his amazing stunts and performances. However, his efforts did come with consequences. By the end of 1975, he had suffered a total of 433 bone fractures, making him a Guinness World Records title holder for the most broken bones in a lifetime.

The amount of pain he endured at this point did not halt his determination, and he jumped at the next opportunity!

During the winter of 1976, Knievel was met with some of his most serious injuries after he attempted to jump over a tank full of sharks. The event took place at the Chicago Amphitheatre and was televised.

This was the first time someone other than Knievel was injured, as a cameraman was struck and lost one of his eyes.

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This stunt caused Knievel to suffer a brain concussion and two broken arms, and it was at this point that he decided to hang up his helmet and retire from any major stunt performances.

He occasionally took part in smaller exhibitions with his son Robbie Knievel, but after many years of health struggles (and an incredible number of broken bones), Evel sadly passed away on 30 November 2007, meaning this weekend marks the 18^th anniversary of his passing.

To keep the family legacy running (and jumping), Robbie continued performing as a motorcycle jumping stuntman, under the stage name Kaptain Robbie Knievel. After years of performing, with his last daring jump in 2011, he passed away in 2023, at the age of 60, from pancreatic cancer.

Overall, this amazing father and son duo have done incredible things for the history of motorcycle stunts, and the Knievel name will be carved into the history books forever.

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