- In full:
- Hells Angels Motorcycle Club or Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporation
- Date:
- 1948 - present
- Areas Of Involvement:
- gang
- motorcycle
- Related People:
- Sonny Barger
Hells Angels
News •
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What are the Hells Angels?
The Hells Angels are an international motorcycle club founded in California in 1948 and known as one of the most famous "outlaw motorcycle gangs". The club primarily consists of white males who ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
Known for clashes with police, some members have faced charges such as car theft and gang rape. In 1969, the Hells Angels were hired to provide security at a Rolling Stones concert at Altamont Speedway, where a member was charged with murder in the stabbing death of a concertgoer. Though they have a reputation as dangerous, law enforcement officials have associated them with illegal drug manufacturing and distribution.
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When and where were the Hells Angels founded?
The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club was founded in 1948 in Fontana, California, near San Bernardino. Chapters opened in San Francisco and Oakland in 1954 and 1957, respectively. In 1961, the club expanded internationally into New Zealand.
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What are some symbols or logos associated with the Hells Angels?
The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, an international club founded in California in 1948, is known for its "Death Head" insignia and the Hells Angels name on regalia. These symbols are tightly controlled, as members who resign must relinquish all items bearing them.
Most members are white males who ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The club gained notoriety after the 1965 release of a report on motorcycle gangs, including the Hells Angels, and their "hoodlum activities".
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How do you become a member of the Hells Angels?
To become a member of the Hells Angels, prospective members undergo a tightly controlled, lengthy vetting, and initiation process. Most members are white males who ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles and are known by an official name or colorful nickname. Anyone who resigns from the Hells Angels must turn in all regalia bearing the Hells Angels name or "Death Head" insignia.
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Why do the Hells Angels have chapters in different countries?
The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, founded in California in 1948, is an international club with chapters in different countries. The club expanded internationally into New Zealand in 1961. The reasons for establishing international chapters likely involve a combination of factors, such as seeking camaraderie, brotherhood, and expanding the club's influence and presence. The Hells Angels' notoriety increased as they clashed with police and were associated with anti-authority sentiments. The club has faced accusations of criminal activity from law enforcement officials.
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What controversies or challenges have the Hells Angels faced around the world?
The Hells Angels, founded in California in 1948, is an international motorcycle club often labeled as an "outlaw motorcycle gang".
Throughout their history, the Hells Angels have faced numerous controversies and challenges, including:
* Criminal accusations Law enforcement officials have frequently accused the club of engaging in criminal activities, particularly drug manufacturing and distribution.
* Clashes with police The 1960s saw increased clashes with law enforcement, leading to arrests for offenses like car theft and gang rape.
* Violence A Hells Angels member was charged with murder (though later acquitted) in connection with a stabbing at the Altamont festival in 1969. In 1965, some members attacked anti-Vietnam War protesters.2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Hells Angels, club for motorcyclists that was founded in California in 1948 and is probably the best known of the so-called “outlaw motorcycle gangs.” The club, which is international, has been accused of criminal activity by law enforcement officials.
Most Hells Angels members are white males who ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Each is known by a “legal,” or official, name, which may be a colorful nickname. Membership status is tightly controlled. Prospective members face a long vetting and initiation process, and anyone who resigns is required to turn in all regalia bearing the Hells Angels name or “Death Head” insignia. Some chapters have clubhouses, but members typically gather in bars and ride out together on runs to recreational destinations.
The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club was founded in Fontana, California, near San Bernardino, in 1948. “Hell’s Angels” was previously used as a nickname by World War II bomber crews and as the title of a Hollywood film (1930) about World War I aviators. The club opened chapters in San Francisco and Oakland in 1954 and 1957, respectively, and expanded internationally into New Zealand in 1961. However, it was not well known to the general public until 1965, when Thomas C. Lynch, attorney general of California, issued a report on motorcycle gangs, including the Hells Angels, and their “hoodlum activities.” Critics accused Lynch of sensationalism, but his report was heavily publicized in the American national media. Then Hunter S. Thompson made the San Francisco Bay Area Hells Angels the subject of his first book, Hell’s Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga (1966). Thompson befriended many members, but the club ultimately turned against him and beat him. His qualified admiration of Ralph (“Sonny”) Barger, long-term president of the Oakland chapter, helped turn Barger into the club’s public face and national spokesman.
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The Hells Angels’ notoriety increased after they were hired to provide stage security for the Altamont festival, a free Rolling Stones concert presented at a motor speedway east of Oakland on December 6, 1969. A Hells Angels member was charged with murder in connection with the stabbing death of Meredith Hunter, an 18-year-old male concertgoer, but was later acquitted. Images of violence at the concert appeared in Gimme Shelter (1970), a widely distributed documentary by Albert and David Maysles and Charlotte Zwerin. Meanwhile, low-budget filmmakers were exploiting the public fascination with motorcyclists by producing numerous “biker movies,” a number of which referenced the Hells Angels in the title: The Wild Angels (1966), Hells Angels on Wheels (1967), Hell’s Angels ’69 (1969), and Angels: Hard as They Come (1971).
The Hells Angels were always known as dangerous barroom fighters, but law enforcement officials later came to associate them with the manufacture and distribution of illegal drugs, especially methamphetamine. Two attempts to prosecute club members under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act ended in mistrials in the early 1980s. However, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, in its National Gang Report, has continued to characterize the Hells Angels as an “outlaw motorcycle gang.”