Hiromu Naruse, Master Test Driver

Toyota’s 67-year-old designer and master test driver died in a crash near the Nurburgring test track in Germany.

The Haunted and Haunting Harry Houdini

Leave it to Harry Houdini to die on Halloween.

Those Daring Young Men

One hundred years ago, Ralph Johnstone became the first American pilot to die in an airplane crash. We take a look back at the perilous early days of flight.

Winner of Scouting’s Highest Honor

Dedicated Boy Scout leader J. Kenneth Tabb received Scouting’s highest honor for adult leadership.

P.T. Barnum’s Greatest Hoaxes

P.T. Barnum was many things – showman, philanthropist, abolitionist. He was also famous for the pranks and swindles he pulled on paying audiences.

Lots of trophies, lots of broken bones

After Gary Nixon was conked in the head by a teammate’s swinging bat while playing baseball, he decided he’d better find a safer sport. So he switched to drag racing.

Lucky Stock Car Racer

As a stock car driver and truck driver, the woman called “Lucky” always figured that she really was just that.

Remembering Racing Greats

We remember three race car drivers who lost their lives to the sport they loved.

Bobby Hamilton, NASCAR Hero

NASCAR driver Bobby Hamilton Sr. died young but it wasn't racing that took his life.

Sarah Burke on the Slopes

Sarah Burke is a legend in the sport of freestyle skiing.

A Lesson in Perseverance

At just 16, Shirley May France became the youngest woman to attempt to swim the English Channel.

Thor Heyerdahl, Adventurer

In a time when the age of adventurers seemed long past, Thor Heyerdahl became one anyway.

Record Breakers

Some Guinness World Record holders set out to reach new heights, and others have achievement thrust upon them.

Evel Knievel: Daredevil

If anyone in this world defined the concept of Daredevil, it was Evel Knievel.

Timothy Treadwell: The Bear Man

Timothy Treadwell had his supporters and his critics but nobody doubted his passion for Grizzly Bears...

Amelia Earhart Finishes Her Flight Around the World

In 1937 Amelia Earhart was taking the world by storm. The fearless pilot and aviation enthusiast was one of the world’s most popular celebrities, and she captured the imagination of millions when she set out to become the first woman to circumnavigate the globe. 77 years ago this week, however, and was never heard from again.

The Search for Amelia Earhart

Amelia Earhart has achieved legendary status in American history. Ever since her mysterious disappearance 75 years ago, generations have been inspired by her intrepid life… and enjoyed speculating about her fate. Some insist that her plane crashed and sank into the ocean, never to be recovered; others are just as adamant that she lived for many years after her 1937 disappearance, serving as a spy or living on a remote island or even changing her name and returning to the U.S. to live a long and anonymous life.

Steve McQueen Lives On

While Steve McQueen lived, he was one of America's favorite anti-heroes. The actor and daredevil brought us some of our favorite on-screen car chases, performing his own stunts whenever possible. And his devil-may-care personality – which led him to quit acting at the height of his popularity in favor of racing motorcycles – sealed the deal. He was one of the coolest guys around.

Remembering Sir Edmund Hillary

In 1953 Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first to climb to the summit of Mt Everest.

Alexander Polli (1985 - 2016), BASE jumping pioneer

Alexander Polli, a skydiver and pioneer of BASE jumping, died Monday, Aug. 22, 2016, in a wingsuit crash in the French Alps. He was 31.

Royal Robbins (1935–2017), rock climbing legend

Royal Robbins, a rock climbing legend and founder of an outdoor clothing company that bears his name.

They Flew Through the Air With the Greatest of Ease

Of all the daredevils throughout history, few have been as legendary as the world-renowned circus family, the Flying Wallendas.

Ueli Steck (1976–2017), famed Swiss mountaineer

Famous climber was known as the Swiss Machine.

Norman Dyhrenfurth (1918–2017), leader of America's first successful Everest expedition

His Everest expedition pioneered the modern U.S. mountaineering and outdoor industry.

Fred Beckey (1923–2017), passion as large as the mountains he climbed

Fred Beckey, the mountaineer known for his many trailblazing first ascents, has died, according to The Associated Press. He was 94.

Joel Taylor (2018), "Storm Chasers" star

Joel Taylor was one of the stars of “Storm Chasers” on the Discovery Channel.

Warren Miller (1924–2018), legendary Ski filmmaker

The thrilling ski films featured his humorous narration.

Kitty O’Neil (1946–2018), pioneering deaf Hollywood stuntwoman

Legendary daredevil set the land speed record for female drivers.

Dan Blankenship (1923–2019), treasure hunter starred on "The Curse of Oak Island"

Dan Blankenship was a treasure hunter and one of the stars of the History Channel reality show "The Curse of Oak Island."

Race Car Drivers Who Have Died

Fast, competitive, and determined, these race car drivers loved the thrill of the track. Whether you're a Formula One fan or can't get enough NASCAR, join us in paying tribute to some of auto racing's greatest drivers.

Dave Treadway (2019), Canadian professional freeskier

Died in an accident skiing backcountry in British Columbia.

Niki Lauda (1949–2019), three-time Formula One champion

Niki Lauda was a three-time Formula One champion known for his remarkable comeback after a serious accident at the 1976 German Grand Prix.

Don Cash (2019), climber died descending Mount Everest

He had just reached his dream of climbing the tallest peak of each continent.

Carlin Dunne (1982–2019), record-breaking motorcycle racer

Carlin Dunne was a motorcycle racer who was a star of the annual Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, having won the motorcycle element of the motorcycle and auto race in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2018.

Jessi Combs (1980–2019), “fastest woman on four wheels”

Co-host of “Xtreme 4x4” died attempting to break her own land speed record.

Barbara Hillary (1931–2019), first African American woman to reach the North and South Poles

She never skied until training for her trek to the North Pole.

Junior Johnson (1931–2019), NASCAR legend

Junior Johnson  was a NASCAR legend who won 50 races during his Hall of Fame career including the 1960 Daytona 500. Growing up in the hills of Western North Carolina, Johnson was a bootlegger, outrunning authorities while transporting moonshine in his car. He became a NASCAR driver with his first major race coming in 1953 at the Southern 500. Johnson is credited with inventing the drafting technique during his Daytona 500 victory when he used the slipstream of faster cars in front of him to slingshot to first place on the last lap. He was in the first class to be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Johnson later became a team owner with his drivers winning over 100 races.

John Andretti (1963–2020), NASCAR and IndyCar racer

John Andretti  was a professional racer who was a member of the famous Andretti racing family. Andretti’s uncle is former Indy 500 winner Mario Andretti, and he is the cousin of former racers Michael and Jeff Andretti. He won two NASCAR races and finished fifth at the 1991 Indianapolis 500 before retiring in 2010. He was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in 2017 and had clean scans a year later after treatment, but the cancer returned earlier this year. After his original diagnosis, he used the hashtag #CheckIt4Andretti to urge people to get regular colonoscopies, something he had not done.

Stirling Moss (1929–2020), legendary British racecar driver

Stirling Moss was a top Formula One racer called "the greatest driver never to win the World Championship," though he was runner-up four times.  

Marty Smith (1956–2020), motocross champion

Marty Smith was a motocross racer who won three American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) National Motocross championships in the 1970s.

Doug Scott (1941–2020), trailblazing mountain climber

Doug Scott was an English mountain climber who was part of the first team to summit Mount Everest via its challenging southwest face.

Ken Block (1967–2023), rally driver and gymkhana YouTube star 

Ken Block  was a rally driver and co-founder of DC Shoes known for his gymkhana YouTube videos.

Dorothy Hoffner (1918–2023), record-breaking centenarian skydiver 

Dorothy Hoffner was a Chicago woman who set a world record when she went skydiving at the age of 104, just a week before her death.

Paula Murphy (1928–2023), record-breaking race car driver

Paula Murphy was a record-setting race car driver in the 1960s and ‘70s, the first woman to speed across the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah in a jet-engine car.