Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist, widely known by the nickname "the Greatest" and often regarded as the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, he began training as an amateur boxer at age 12, and at 18 he won the gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, defeating the veteran Pole Zbigniew Pietrzykowski; he turned professional later that year.

In his 1975 autobiography he recalled throwing his gold medal into the Ohio River after being refused service at a whites-only restaurant, though Thomas Hauser's biography states that he lost the medal a year after winning it. As a professional 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 Sports Personality of the Century by the BBC.