Evel Knievel, a celebrated daredevil and famous American icon, died on November 30, 2007 at the age of 69. Born Robert Craig Knievel in Butte, Montana in 1938, he became a national star and household name after a career of death-defying jumps in the late 1950s and 60s. He first gained national attention following his successful jump over the length of a football field in 1966 in Moses Lake, Washington. Knievel went on to perform stunt jumps over an expanding number of objects and vehicles across the United States, often at great risk to himself. He was known to often escape death in his daredevil attempts, suffering broken bones instead. Over the course of his dynamic career, Knievel became famous and popular worldwide, as well as a role model for many aspiring stuntmen. In 1974, Knievel failed a jump of the Snake River Canyon in a rocket-powered aircraft, but the attempt further solidified his place in pop culture. He jumped venues including Caesar's Palace and Wembley Stadium, and even entered the mainstream when he appeared in movies and television shows. By the end of his life, Knievel had made more than 75 daredevil jumps and survived numerous accidents. He eventually retired from performing after fracturing his spine in a jump of Caesar's Palace. The failed jump was indicative of many of Knievel's attempts throughout his career—notably in 1971 when he crashed while trying to jump 13 Mack trucks in California—though none lessened his star status. In his later years, Knievel appeared in cameo roles and worked closely with the Evel Knievel toy line. Knievel became and remained an enduring icon, and a symbol of bravery and courage among generations of Americans.