Robert “Evel” Knievel, the world-famous American daredevil known for his unbelievable motorcycle jumps and death-defying stunts, holds one of the most unfortunate yet iconic records in human history: suffering hundreds of bone fractures, making him one of the most injured stunt performers of all time.
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Knievel captivated global audiences with his fearless personality and breathtaking jumps over buses, fountains, cars, and canyons. But behind every roaring crowd and successful leap was a body pushed to its absolute limits. His eventful career was marked by spectacular crashes that left him with broken legs, arms, ribs, hips, collarbones, and vertebrae—sometimes all at once.
According to documented medical reports from his stunt career, Knievel experienced more than 400 fractures, a number that became a unique and painful part of his legacy. Despite these injuries, he always returned to the ramp, determined to outdo his previous attempts.
One of his most infamous crashes occurred during the 1967 Caesars Palace jump in Las Vegas, where he flew over the fountains but crash-landed, spending nearly a month in the hospital with severe injuries. Yet even this did not discourage him. Knievel continued performing, earning international fame as a symbol of boldness, courage, and sheer willpower.
While the world remembers Evel Knievel as a fearless performer, his record of repeated injuries highlights the extreme physical cost of pushing the boundaries of human ability. His legacy lives on today as a reminder of both the glory and the danger of stunts—an inspiration for performers who followed in his footsteps and a warning of the risks that come with chasing extraordinary feats.
