Quiz of the Day
Evel Knievel & the Age of Daredevils
Saturday, 17 October 2026
Marking the birth of Robert Craig "Evel" Knievel (Oct 17, 1938) — celebrating the star-spangled showman who turned motorcycle stunts into 1970s spectacle.
1. In which mining town was Evel Knievel born on October 17, 1938?
- Butte, Montana
- Boise, Idaho
- Cheyenne, Wyoming
- Reno, Nevada
Evel Knievel was born Robert Craig Knievel in the copper-mining city of Butte, Montana. His parents divorced when he was young, and he was largely raised by his grandparents. He often credited his rowdy, hardscrabble Butte upbringing for shaping his fearless, showman personality.
2. Evel Knievel became world-famous for performing daring jumps on what kind of vehicle?
- A race car
- A motorcycle
- A jet ski
- A snowmobile
Knievel built his career launching a motorcycle over rows of cars, buses, and other obstacles before roaring crowds. His leaps combined genuine physical danger with carnival-style showmanship. He became the most famous motorcycle stuntman in the world during the 1970s.
3. Which Las Vegas resort's fountains did Evel Knievel famously crash while trying to jump on New Year's Eve 1967?
- The Flamingo
- The Golden Nugget
- Caesars Palace
- The Sands
On December 31, 1967, Knievel attempted to jump the ornamental fountains outside Caesars Palace, a leap of roughly 141 feet. He came up short and crashed violently, breaking bones in his hip, pelvis, and both ankles. The footage, later aired on ABC's Wide World of Sports, turned him into a national celebrity.
4. Evel Knievel's iconic star-spangled leather jumpsuit and cape were styled after the flag of which country?
- The United States
- Canada
- The United Kingdom
- France
Knievel's signature costume was a white leather jumpsuit trimmed in red, white, and blue with stars, echoing the American flag. The patriotic outfit and matching cape made him look like a real-life comic-book hero. It became one of the most recognizable images in 1970s pop culture.
5. What was Evel Knievel's actual first name, given to him at birth?
- Ronald
- Robert
- Randall
- Russell
He was born Robert Craig Knievel. The nickname "Evil Knievel" is said to have come from a jailer after a night in a Montana jail cell. He later respelled it "Evel" so people would not think he was truly evil, and eventually adopted it as his legal name.
6. In 1974, Evel Knievel attempted to leap across which canyon using a steam-powered rocket?
- Royal Gorge
- Snake River Canyon
- The Grand Canyon
- Hells Canyon
On September 8, 1974, Knievel tried to soar across Idaho's Snake River Canyon near Twin Falls. His rocket's parachute deployed prematurely just after launch, and the craft drifted down to the canyon floor. He survived with only minor injuries, and the heavily hyped event cemented his folk-hero status even in failure.
7. What word describes a performer like Knievel who risks life and limb for thrilling public spectacle?
- Juggler
- Gladiator
- Acrobat
- Daredevil
A daredevil is someone who performs dangerous, attention-grabbing stunts, often courting serious injury. Knievel is regarded as the archetypal daredevil of the modern era. His fame inspired generations of stunt performers, including his own son Robbie Knievel.
8. What was the name of the steam-powered rocket cycle Knievel rode for his Snake River Canyon attempt?
- Skycycle X-2
- Sky Arrow
- Steamliner
- Rocket Ranger
The vehicle was the Skycycle X-2, designed by aerospace engineer Robert Truax and propelled by superheated steam rather than a conventional engine. It was essentially a small rocket meant to arc across the mile-wide gorge. A drogue parachute opened too early on the ramp, dooming the jump before it truly began.
9. Which motorcycle became Evel Knievel's signature machine for most of his career, starting around 1970?
- Honda CB750
- Indian Scout
- Triumph Bonneville
- Harley-Davidson XR-750
From 1970 onward, Knievel most often jumped aboard the Harley-Davidson XR-750, a bike originally built for flat-track racing. He set several of his most famous distance records on it, including his successful 14-bus jump. One of his XR-750s is now preserved in the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.
10. Knievel originally wanted to jump the Grand Canyon, but permission was refused by which body, pushing him to choose Snake River Canyon instead?
- The State of Nevada
- The U.S. Department of the Interior
- The FAA
- The Screen Actors Guild
Because the Grand Canyon is federal land, the U.S. Department of the Interior would not grant Knievel permission to jump it. Blocked there, he leased land and set his sights on Idaho's privately accessible Snake River Canyon. The switch turned a scenic wonder into the stage for one of his most legendary attempts.
11. At which London stadium did Knievel crash badly in 1975 while trying to clear 13 buses?
- Hampden Park
- Twickenham
- Old Trafford
- Wembley Stadium
On May 26, 1975, before a huge crowd at Wembley Stadium, Knievel failed to clear the last of 13 buses and crashed hard, breaking his pelvis. Despite the injury, he grabbed the microphone and told the audience he was retiring, though he soon returned to jumping. It remains one of the most storied stunts in British sporting memory.
12. Which toy company produced the hugely popular wind-up Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle in the 1970s?
- Kenner
- Ideal Toy Company
- Hasbro
- Mattel
The Ideal Toy Company launched the Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle in 1973, a wind-up motorcycle-and-figure set powered by a hand-cranked "gyro energizer." It became one of the best-selling toys of the decade, and Ideal sold well over one hundred million dollars' worth of Knievel merchandise. Kids everywhere sent the little daredevil flipping across living-room floors.
13. According to Guinness World Records, Evel Knievel holds the lifetime record for the most of what?
- Motorcycle jumps completed
- Stunts without injury
- Broken bones
- Fastest jump speed
Guinness World Records credits Knievel with the most bones broken in a lifetime, a figure often cited as 433 fractures. Decades of crashes left him with pins, plates, and a body he compared to a jigsaw puzzle. Remarkably, he kept jumping for years despite the accumulating damage.
14. Where did Knievel successfully soar over 14 Greyhound buses in October 1975, drawing the highest ratings in Wide World of Sports history?
- Disneyland
- Kings Island
- Cedar Point
- Six Flags Over Texas
On October 25, 1975, at the Kings Island amusement park near Cincinnati, Knievel cleared 14 Greyhound buses in a jump of about 133 feet. The live ABC broadcast earned the highest ratings ever recorded for Wide World of Sports. Coming just months after his Wembley crash, it stood as one of his most triumphant leaps.
15. In his very first public stunt in 1965 at Moses Lake, Washington, Knievel jumped over a box of rattlesnakes and two of what animal?
- Bears
- Mountain lions
- Alligators
- Bulls
For his debut public jump in 1965, Knievel leaped his motorcycle over a box of rattlesnakes and two tethered mountain lions. He landed slightly short, clipping the snake box, but managed to keep control and stay upright. It was a fittingly outrageous start to a career built on flirting with disaster.