Daredevil and entertainer Evel Knievel was born Robert Knievel this day in 1938. In his career he attempted 75 ramp to ramp motorcycle jumps between 1965 and 1980. A great biography came out last year about Knievel “Evel” by Leigh Montville. Knievel was a real con artist. Not that that is shocking. He was a part of my kidhood. Seemed like he was always on Wide World Of Sports all the time making a jump. To me he jumped the shark with the attempt to jump the Snake River Canyon. After that he didn’t matter much more to me. After reading his biography I came away not liking him at all. Which didn’t surprise me. He came across as a jerk all the time anyway but he did have charisma. Knievel died in 2007 at the age of 69. It amazes me that he lived as long as he did.