• Muhammad Ali was born in Louisville, Kentucky with the name Cassius Clay in 1942.

• When he converted to Islam, he first changed his name to Cassius X, before finally changing his name to Muhammad Ali.

• He won light heavyweight gold medal at the Olympics in Rome, Italy in 1960.

• He became the heavyweight world champion in 1964.

• When he refused to fight in the Vietnam War because of his religious beliefs, he was arrested and stripped of his world title. He was sentenced for 5 years in prison, but the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the conviction in June 1971. Because of this, he missed 3 years of his athletic career.

• He returned to the ring in 1970. A year later, he fought with his rival Joe Frazier in what is known as the “Fight of the Century.” Ali lost this match, but he defeated Frazier in a 1974 rematch.

• After losing his title to Leon Spinks in February 1978, Ali retook the title and became the first boxer to win the heavyweight championship three times. He retired in 1981.

• Ali announced that he has Parkinson's disease in 1984.

• Muhammad Ali now devotes most of his time to philanthropy, and has received many awards including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005.

 

          Muhammad Ali changed the way the world thinks about life. He stood by his beliefs and never gave in to the opinions of others. He was even arrested and stripped of his world title because he refused to fight in the Vietnam War. But he is not only known for his athletic career, but also for his courage and willingness to speak his mind. Like Bill Gates, Ali now devotes his time to philanthropy, and like Walt Disney, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He showed the world "how great he is," and is a true "People's Champion."

 

For more information about Muhammad Ali visit the following websites (Sources):

1. Muhammad Ali Biography. (n.d.). Retrieved January 18, 2016, from http://www.biography.com/people/muhammad-ali-9181165

2. Muhammad Ali. (n.d.). Retrieved January 18, 2016, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Ali