Evel Knievel Dead at 69: The Man, the Legend, the International Dare Devil

According to reports confirmed by Krysten Knievel, granddaughter to the international dare devil Evel Knievel, the legend has died on November 30, due to complications from numerous different illnesses he had been suffering from for the past few years.

Evel Knievel, born Robert Knievel in Butte, Montana, was raised by his paternal grandparents. At a young age, young Knievel attended a Joie Chitwood Auto Daredevil Show, which Knievel credits his love for his eccentric career as an international daredevil who took risks that no one else did.

Knievel's first show was on January 3, 1966, in Indio, California, at the National Date Festival. After his performance, Knievel got numerous different offers to host his own show. Knievel declined and kept on with his amazing jumps. In 1967, Knievel cleared a sixteen car line up. Unfortunately with many successful jumps there came many injuries as well. In his long lasting dangerous career, Knievel broke over 30 bones and had fourteen surgeries. This did not stop him whatsoever. The show went on and so did Evel Knievel.

Two of Evel's most memorable jumps where that in Canada when he jumped 13 tractor trailers and then in September of 1974 where he attempted to jump the Snake River Canyon which is 1/4 a mile. Knievel did not make the jump this time, this did not stop him from continuing on his journey to seek other death defying ways to jump over anything that was nearly impossible.

After these most memorable jumps, Evel decided to travel England and jump 13 buses in Wembley Stadium. This jump was seen by a sold out crowd where Evel would unfortunately miss by one bus, landing on the last bus which threw him into the crowd. Once he was aware, Evel concluded that he would never jump again. Never came that following October when he decided to come back full force and jump 14 Greyhound buses at Kings Island in Ohio. He didn't make the complete jump, but he did however land on the 14th bus without letting go.

Kings Island would be Evel's last big jump. He eventually would retire in the late 80's. In 1999 Evel Knievel received a new liver after contracting Hepatitis C. He was then diagnosed pulmonary fibrosis which is incurable. According to cyclejumpers.com Knievel accepted that his time left on Earth was a short one. He also knew that he had led his life to it's fullest and enjoyed every bit of it.

A most memorable quote that Evel Knievel has given us is this "I can't wait to meet God, and ask why he didn't make me go faster on some of those jumps, why he put me through all this pain. He knows I'm not evil."