Muhammad Ali remains one of the greatest sports figures of all time who made an impact beyond boxing that still resonates today. Ali, a Muslim, His father, Cassius Marcellus Clay painted posters and played the piano and his mother Odessa O’Grady was a housewife. In 1999, Ali was named "Sportsman of the Century" by Sports Illustrated magazine. The traditional story of the Qur'an … Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is widely regarded as one of the most significant and celebrated sports figures of the 20th century and as one of the greatest boxers of all time. Ali, a Muslim, The same year he travelled to Iraq to negotiate the release of American hostages with Saddam Hussein. In addition, he was known for his social message of black pride and black resistance to white domination and for refusing induction into … Muhammad Ali Center. Muhammad Ali was one of the greatest boxers in history, the first fighter to win the world heavyweight championship on three separate occasions. Muhammad Ali is one of the most important athletes and cultural figures in American history. Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American boxer. As a boy, Cassius Clay was encouraged to take up boxing by a local policeman. He was also well known for his clever rhymes. Muhammad Ali (/ ɑː ˈ l iː /; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer, activist, and philanthropist. Muhammad Ali (1942-2016) was an American professional boxer known for his outspokenness, particularly on political issues.. Ali was born Cassius Clay, the son of a flamboyant but hard-drinking painter from Kentucky. Ali was born on this day in 1942. Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier, billed as the Fight of the Century (also known as The Fight), was the boxing match between WBC/WBA heavyweight champion Joe Frazier (26–0, 23 KOs) and The Ring / lineal heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali (31–0, 25 KOs), held on Monday, March 8, 1971, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Muhammad Ali was born on January 17, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. Muhammad Ali was the only professional boxer to win the heavy-weight championship three times. Muhammad Ali’s boxing gloves are preserved in the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of American History. Though he passed away in 2016, the heavyweight boxing champ was … 1. He started boxing at 12 boxing after his bicycle was stolen and a police officer offered him boxing lessons. Muhammad Ali Boxer Born May 6, 1937 Clifton, New Jersey Nationality American Known as the world’s most famous boxing hero, Muhammad Ali is a retired American boxer. On April 28, 1967, boxing champion Muhammad Ali refuses to be inducted into the U.S. Army and is immediately stripped of his heavyweight title. Ali brought unprecedented speed and grace to the sport and set a bar which was not very easy to … While his history as a boxer is long and illustrious, we've compiled nine more heavy-hitting facts you might not know about the man who is considered one of the greatest sports figures of all time. Muhammad Ali was born Cassius Marcellus Clay on 17 January 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky. Considered a sporting legend and a cultural icon, he was as well known for his beliefs as his boxing. Ali was born Cassius Clay in Louisville, Ky. Muhammad Ali was a boxer, philanthropist and social activist who is universally regarded as one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century. In his early teens, Muhammad worked in a camel caravan, following in the footsteps of many people his age, born of meager wealth. He provided leadership and an example for African American men and women around the world with his political and religious views. He became one of the most famous boxers in the world with his "rope-a-dope" technique. Ali published an oral history called 'Muhammad Ali: His Life And Times' by Thomas Hauser in 1991. Some of our fondest memories come from listening to the sound of our father or mother's voice as they read our favorite book. He Was Named After a White Abolitionist. On April 28, 1967, boxing champion Muhammad Ali refuses to be inducted into the U.S. Army and is immediately stripped of his heavyweight title. Clay was introduced to boxing aged 12. Editor’s Note: The boxer and civil rights icon Muhammad Ali, who died on June 3, 2016, at the age of 74, would have turned 78 today. Muhammad Ali was the first man to win the undisputed world heavyweight boxing title three times. Read with your child today. Muhammad Ali was born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. in Louisville, Kentucky, in January 1942. Muhammad is the prophet and founder of Islam. In 2002, he travelled to Afghanistan as a UN Messenger of Peace.