Muhammad Ali is American boxer.

How did Muhammad Ali die?

Muhammad Ali passed away in 2016 (respiratory disease).

What is Muhammad Ali known for?

Muhammad Ali is primarily known as a(n) activist, author, boxer, athlete, autobiographer.

Muhammad Ali

American boxer

Born:January 17, 1942

Died:June 3, 2016

Age at death:74

Manner of death:Natural Causes

Cause of death:Respiratory Disease

Zodiac Sign:Capricorn

Height:1.91 m (6′3″)

Children:9

Born in:Louisville, United States

Residence:Scottsdale, United States

Buried in:United States

Languages:English

Boxer Activist Author Athlete Autobiographer

Signature

Links

Wikipedia Official Website IMDb X (Twitter)

Famous For

Movies & TV

Richard JewellWrestleMania IWhen We Were KingsSolinoThe Greatest

Books

The Greatest: My Own StoryThe Soul of a ButterflyThe Soul of a Butterfly

Songs & Albums

I Am the GreatestThe Adventures of Ali and His Gang vs. Mr. Tooth Decay

Awards

Presidential Medal of Freedom (2005)Otto Hahn Peace Medal (2005)star on Hollywood Walk of Fame (2002)Presidential Citizens Medal (2001)International Boxing Hall of Fame (1990)

Muhammad Ali

American boxer

Biography

Muhammad Ali ( ah-LEE; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. A global cultural icon, widely known by the nickname "the Greatest", he is often regarded as the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. He held the Ring magazine heavyweight title from 1964 to 1970, was the undisputed champion from 1974 to 1978, and was the WBA and Ring heavyweight champion from 1978 to 1979. In 1999, he was named Sportsman of the Century by Sports Illustrated and the Sports Personality of the Century by the BBC. Born 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 joined the Nation of Islam in the early 1960s, but later transitioned to Sunni Islam in the mid-1970s after the death of its longtime leader, Elijah Muhammad. He won the world heavyweight championship, defeating Sonny Liston in a major upset on February 25, 1964, at age 22. During that year, he denounced his birth name as a "slave name" and formally changed his name to Muhammad Ali. In 1967, Ali refused to be drafted into the military, owing to his religious beliefs and ethical opposition to the Vietnam War, and was found guilty of draft evasion and stripped of his boxing titles. He stayed out of prison while appealing the decision to the Supreme Court, where his conviction was overturned in 1971. He did not fight for nearly four years and lost a period of peak performance as an athlete. Ali's actions as a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War made him an icon for the larger counterculture of the 1960s generation, and he became a prominent, high-profile figure of racial pride for African Americans during the civil rights movement and throughout his career. Ali fought in several highly publicized boxing matches, including fights with Liston, Joe Frazier (including the Fight of the Century, which at the time was the biggest boxing event, and the Thrilla in Manila), and George Foreman in The Rumble in the Jungle. At a time when many boxers let their managers do the talking, Ali became renowned for his provocative and outlandish persona. He was famous for trash talking, often free-styled with rhyme schemes and spoken word poetry, and is identified as a pioneer in hip-hop. He often predicted in which round he would knock out his opponent. As a boxer, Ali was known for his unorthodox movement, footwork, head movement, and rope-a-dope technique, among others. Outside boxing, Ali performed as a spoken word artist, releasing two studio albums: I Am the Greatest! (1963) and The Adventures of Ali and His Gang vs. Mr. Tooth Decay (1976). Both albums received Grammy Award nominations. He also featured as an actor and writer, releasing two autobiographies. Ali retired from boxing in 1981 and focused on religion, philanthropy, and activism. In 1984, he made public his diagnosis of Parkinson's syndrome, which some reports attributed to boxing-related injuries, though he and his specialist physicians disputed this. He remained an active public figure, but in his later years made fewer public appearances as his condition worsened, and was cared for by his family until his death in 2016.

This biography uses content from the Wikipedia article “Muhammad Ali”, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License.

Quotes

“Archie's been living off the fat of the land. I'm here to give him his pension plan. When you come to the fight don't block the door. 'Cause you'll all go home after round four.”

— Before his fight with Archie Moore (1962), as quoted in "Muhammad Ali was also great for civil rights" by Mark Wiedmer, in Times Free Press (17 January 2012)

“Ain't no reason for me to kill nobody in the ring, unless they deserve it.”

— Comment after the match with Jimmy Ellis was stopped by the referee in the twelfth round (July 1971)

“I never thought of losing, but now that it's happened, the only thing is to do it right. That's my obligation to all the people who believe in me. We all have to take defeats in life.”

— Statement after losing to Ken Norton despite 5-1 odds in his favor (31 March 1973), as quoted by Jeff Johnson in "Muhammad Ali In His Own Words: Six of His Best Quotes to Live By," NBC News (June 4, 2016)

Quotes sourced from the Wikiquote article "Muhammad Ali", available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License.

Photos

Title: Muhammad Ali Creator(s): Gotfryd, Bernard, photographer Date Created/Published: [ca. 1975] Medium: 1 photograph : color transparency ; 35mm (slide format) Reproduction Number: LC-DIG-gtfy-00140 (digital file from original) Rights Advisory: No known restrictions on publication. For information see "Bernard Gotfryd,"(https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/res.592.gotf) Access Advisory: Please use digital image: original slide is kept in cold storage for preservation. Call Number: LC-GB05- 140 [P&P] Repository: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA Notes: Title from slide mount and other caption information provided by the photographer. Photo agency: Woodfin Camp & Associates 116 East 27th Street, New York. Gotfryd set no.: CI-477-001-A. Gift; Bernard Gotfryd; 2004; (DLC/PP-2004:032). Subjects: United States. USA: Sports: Boxing Format: Slides--Color--1970-1980. Part of: Bernard Gotfryd photograph collection (Library of Congress) Bookmark This Record: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2020729681/

Muhammad Ali vs. Antonio Inoki Ticket, Antonio Inoki Exhibition in Osaka, 2023

Centre culturel musulman Mohamed Ali Clay

Central Phoenix, AZ: W Thomas Road, Muhammad Ali Parkinson's Center, "Lonnie and Muhammad Ali Pavilion," Midtown Buildings, 2011

DAVOS/SWITZERLAND, 28JAN06 - FLTR: Muhammad Ali, Former Heavyweight-Boxing Champion, Greatest of All Time (GOAT), USA, captured at the Presentation of the Crystal Awards at the Annual Meeting 2006 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 28, 2006. Copyright by World Economic Forum swiss-image.ch/Photo by Andy Mettler

Madison Square Garden

Muhammad Ali receives the Olympic Flag at the London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, Olympic Stadium, Friday 27 July 2012.

President George W. Bush Embraces Muhammad Ali, 2005 Recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, 11/9/2005

A chart that represents former an current world heavyweight boxing champions by number of opponents beaten in world heavyweight title fights. The list does not include The Ring and lineal championship fights after 1921, although it only includes heavyweight champions that captured undisputed championship (1922–present), lineal championship (1885–1921) or The Ring championship (1922–1989, 2002–). The list only includes title reigns during which the champion: 1. has won undisputed championship (1922–present), The Ring championship (1922–1989, 2002–), lineal championship (1885–1921) 2. unified the titles 3. defeated a fighter that either had to drop his own world title prior to the fight due to organization's championship policy or would later become the world champion, while the winner's reign was still active

This is a photograph of Muhammad Ali and his Family meeting the Mayor of Washington, UK during his visit in the 1970's. Reference: 5417/291/2 This collection of images has been assembled in support of the Washington Heritage Festival 2013. The celebration of Washington brings together a variety of different themes. Washington is a Town in the City of Sunderland, Tyne & Wear. It is traditionally associated with Coal Industry, and notably known as the home of the Washington Family, ancestors of the First President of the United States George Washington. However, in 1964 Washington was designated a New Town and drastically changed. With the introduction of new industry such as the Nissan Car Factory Washington experienced a huge redevelopment in both its economy and community. These Photographs are taken from the Records of the Washington Development Corporation; held at Tyne & Wear Archives. The records document this change in industry, landscape and community in Washington between 1964 & 1988, and consist of many photographs. For more information on the Washington Heritage Festival, 21st September 2013 please click here. (Copyright) These images are Crown Copyright. We're happy for you to share these digital images within the spirit of The Commons. Please cite 'Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums' when reusing. Certain restrictions on high quality reproductions and commercial use of the original physical version apply though; if you're unsure please email archives@twmuseums.org.uk