Evel No More

When iconic daredevil Evel Knievel died at 69 last November, many were surprised—not by his passing—but that he lived as long as he did. The fearless showman made a name for himself in the ’70s with death-defying jumps and spectacular crashes. By the time he retired in 1980 he had suffered nearly 40 broken bones.

But the life of the hard-living legend had a surprise ending. Just months before succumbing to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, Knievel had a dramatic encounter with God. In April Knievel was baptized during the Rev. Robert Schuller's Hour of Power service at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California. Schuller told of how Knievel had called him a couple weeks earlier, telling him, “I’ve accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.”

The stuntman’s conversion prompted an impromptu mass baptism that morning. More than 500 came forward to committ or rededicate their lives to the Lord. Knievel would die six months later, but it seems his last jump had a succesful landing.