Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali was a professional boxer and activist from the United States. He is widely considered one of the most important and celebrated sports figures of the twentieth century, and he is regularly ranked as the best heavyweight boxer of all time. In 1999, Sports Illustrated named him Sportsman of the Century, and the BBC awarded him Sports Personality of the Century.

He began training as an amateur boxer at the age of 12 after being born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. At the age of 18, he won a gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 1960 Summer Olympics and went pro the following year. He converted to Islam around 1961. On February 25, 1964, at the age of 22, he defeated Sonny Liston to win the world heavyweight championship. He participated in several notable boxing battles, including fights with Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier (including the Fight of the Century, the biggest boxing event at the time), the Thrilla in Manila, and George Foreman in The Rumble in the Jungle.

Ali left boxing in 1981 to devote his time to religion, philanthropy, and activism. He made public his diagnosis of Parkinson's condition in 1984, which some media linked to boxing-related injuries, while he and his specialist physicians denied this. He remained a global public figure but made fewer public appearances in his final years as his condition worsened and he was cared for by his family.

Born: January 17, 1942
Died: June 3, 2016

Nationality: American