Daredevils Who Lost Their Lives During Insane Stunts

Human beings have been craving adrenaline since the first caveman dared the first lion to "catch me if you can." That's not to say that we all crave danger, but it's so much a part of our DNA that if we don't chase those thrills ourselves, we enjoy watching other people do it. If we didn't, YouTube probably wouldn't exist. But the awful truth about daredevils and...

A self-described mix of "an Elvis Presley and a Liberace...on a motorcycle," Evel Knievel's death-defying stunts brought a level of fame reserved for rockstars in the 1970s. With his signature, star-spangled leather jumpsuits, devil-may-care attitude, and unmistakable swagger, Knievel thrilled millions worldwide and became the role model for a generation of...

Without Buster Keaton, filmmaker, comedian, and stunt man extraordinaire of the silent movie era and beyond, audiences may never have known the stunts of Jackie Chan, notes Mental Floss. Or have had the comedy of Bill Murray. Or the direction of Wes Anderson. Keaton, who was born in 1895 and was performing in his parents' Vaudeville act by age 5...

The primitive technology of early 20th century cinema is perhaps easily overlooked — instead of a soundtrack that existed as part of the film, cinema audiences would be treated to live musical accompaniment to the latest releases from movie studios. Movies would arrive at the cinema in reels with no more than a 15-minute run time, before they had...

For most of us, a vehicle is something that gets us from point A to point B — if we're lucky, point C on the weekends. However, not everyone uses their vehicles for such simple tasks. Stunt drivers and daredevils push them to the limit, driving at high speeds and even doing insane things road vehicles weren't meant to do, like flips and flights...