Muhammad Ali was an American professional boxer, activist, entertainer and philanthropist. He was born in 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky and began boxing training at age 12. Ali won a gold medal at the 1960 Olympics and became the world heavyweight champion at age 22 in 1964, which he defended multiple times. As a Muslim, Ali refused to fight in the Vietnam War in 1966 for religious reasons, which led to him being stripped of his titles. He was a prominent civil rights activist and figure of racial pride. Ali attained success outside of boxing as an actor, author and musician before retiring in 1981 due to Parkinson's syndrome. He remained active in philanthropy and advocacy until his death in 2016.
Muhammad Ali was an American professional boxer, activist, entertainer and philanthropist. He was born in 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky and began boxing training at age 12. Ali won a gold medal at the 1960 Olympics and became the world heavyweight champion at age 22 in 1964, which he defended multiple times. As a Muslim, Ali refused to fight in the Vietnam War in 1966 for religious reasons, which led to him being stripped of his titles. He was a prominent civil rights activist and figure of racial pride. Ali attained success outside of boxing as an actor, author and musician before retiring in 1981 due to Parkinson's syndrome. He remained active in philanthropy and advocacy until his death in 2016.
Muhammad Ali was an American professional boxer, activist, entertainer and philanthropist. He was born in 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky and began boxing training at age 12. Ali won a gold medal at the 1960 Olympics and became the world heavyweight champion at age 22 in 1964, which he defended multiple times. As a Muslim, Ali refused to fight in the Vietnam War in 1966 for religious reasons, which led to him being stripped of his titles. He was a prominent civil rights activist and figure of racial pride. Ali attained success outside of boxing as an actor, author and musician before retiring in 1981 due to Parkinson's syndrome. He remained active in philanthropy and advocacy until his death in 2016.
Muhammad Ali (January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional
boxer, activist, entertainer and philanthropist. Nicknamed the Greatest, he is widely regarded as one of the most significant and celebrated figures of the 20th century and as one of the greatest boxers of all time. Ali was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. He began training as an amateur boxer at age 12. At 18, he won a gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 1960 Summer Olympics and turned professional later that year. He won the world heavyweight championship from Sonny Liston in a major upset on February 25, 1964, at age 22. Ali was a leading heavyweight boxer of the 20th century, and he remains the only three-time lineal champion of that division. His joint records of beating 21 boxers for the world heavyweight title and winning 14 unified title bouts stood for 35 years. He became a Muslim after 1961. On March 6, 1964, he announced that he no longer would be known as Cassius Clay but as Muhammad Ali. In 1966, Ali refused to be drafted into the military, citing his religious beliefs and ethical opposition to the Vietnam War. He was found guilty of draft evasion so he faced 5 years in prison and was stripped of his boxing titles. he was a very high- profile figure of racial pride for African Americans during the civil rights movement and throughout his career. As a Muslim, Ali was initially affiliated with Elijah Muhammad's Nation of Islam (NOI). He later disavowed the NOI, adhering to Sunni Islam, and supporting racial integration like his former mentor Malcolm X. Outside the ring, Ali attained success as a musician, where he received two Grammy nominations. He also featured as an actor and writer, releasing two autobiographies. Ali retired from boxing in 1981 and focused on religion, philanthropism and activism. In 1984, he made public his diagnosis of Parkinson's syndrome, which some reports attribute to boxing-related injuries, though he and his specialist physicians disputed this. He remained an active public figure globally, but in his later years made fewer public appearances as his condition worsened, and he was cared for by his family. Ali died on June 3, 2016.