Muhammad Ali Ali was born Cassius Marcellus Clay on Jan 17, 1942, in Louisville Kentucky. Ali was born Cassius Marcellus Clay on Jan. 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky. He became a professional boxer after winning the light heavyweight title at the 1960 Summer Olympic Games. In 1964, after defeating Liston, he joined the Nation of Islam and changed his name to Muhammad Ali. The Nation of Islam is a religious group that combines some aspects of Islam with doctrines of black nationalism. He converted from the Nation of Islam to traditional Islam in 1975. Muhammad Ali was an American heavyweight boxing champion. He first won the championship by knocking out defending champion Sonny Liston in 1964. Some boxing groups recognized Ali as champion until 1967. But he was stripped of the World Boxing Association (WBA) title late in 1964 in a dispute over a contract. The WBA again recognized Ali as champion after he defeated defending champion Ernie Terrell in 1967. In 1967, Ali was drafted into the United States Army. However, he refused induction—that is, he refused to serve. The WBA and other boxing groups then stripped Ali of his title. He was also convicted on charges of refusing induction. Ali appealed his conviction and did not go to prison. But he did not box for 3 1/2 years. Ali returned to boxing in 1970 and won two fights that year. In 1971, he attempted to regain the heavyweight title from Joe Frazier but lost. The defeat was Ali’s first loss in 32 professional fights. Later in 1971, the Supreme Court of the United States reversed Ali's conviction. Ali regained the heavyweight championship by knocking out George Foreman, the defending champion, in 1974. This fight took place in Kinshasa, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), and was known as “The Rumble in the Jungle.” In 1975, Ali fought Frazier for a third time and defeated him in a bout in the Philippines known as the “Thrilla in Manila.” Ali had won the second fight in 1974. Early in 1978, Ali lost the title when he was upset by little-known Leon Spinks. Later in 1978, Ali won the title for the fourth time when he defeated Spinks in a 15-round decision. In a decision in a professional fight, the winner is decided by three ringside judges or two judges and the referee. Later years. In 1979, Ali gave up his title and announced his retirement. In 1980, however, he came out of retirement and fought defending champion Larry Holmes, seeking to win the World Boxing Council version of the title. Holmes defeated Ali by a technical knockout. A technical knockout occurs when a boxer is judged unable to continue. In 1984, Ali was diagnosed with a brain illness called Parkinson disease. Ali became one of the most recognized athletes in the world, even after his illness greatly diminished his ability to speak. At the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, he was the final carrier of the Olympic torch. For Olympic Games, runners transport the Olympic flame in a torch relay from Greece to the site of the games. To be the final carrier of the torch is a high honor. In 1999, Ali was named Sportsman of the Century by Sports Illustrated magazine and Sports Personality of the Century by the British Broadcasting Corporation. Ali's daughter Laila became a professional boxer in 1999, fighting other women. In 2005, Ali received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, one of the country’s highest civilian honors. Also that year, the Muhammad Ali Center opened in Louisville. This museum and cultural center is dedicated to Ali’s life in and out of boxing. By: Silas Davis Info courtesy of: www.Worldbookonline.com .