Ali Timeline
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Timeline of the Champ
1942
January 17, Muhammad Ali was born in
Louisville, Kentucky.
His name at birth was Cassius Clay.
1954
His bicycle was stolen and he told
the policemen, Joe Martin, that he wanted to "whup" whoever had
stolen his bike. Martin trained young boxers and started to train Clay.
1956
He wins the novice Golden Gloves
Championship as a light heavyweight.
1959
He wins the the AAU light heavyweight
title at the Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions.
1960
In September he won the light heavyweight
gold medal at the Rome Olympics, his first major success in athletics.
In October he wins his first
professional bout with Tunney Hunsaker.
1963
In October he wins his first foreign
professional bout with Henry Cooper in London before 55,000 fans.
1964
February 25, he knocked out Sonny
Liston.
This defeat allowed him to become the heavyweight champion.
February 26, he joined the Nation of
Islam.
March 6, at the age of 22, he changed
his name from
Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali.
1966
Ali is drafted and he files for
conscientious objector status as a Muslim minister.
1967
In April, the government denies his
filing for conscientious objector status and he was drafted into the Army. He
attends the induction ceremony, but he refused to step forward.
In June, Ali is found guilty of
refusing induction into the Army. His passport is revoked.
The boxing association takes back his
boxing titles and bans him from boxing for three years.
He married his second wife, Belinda
Boyd.
They would go on to have four children together.
1970
On October 26, Ali returns to
fighting in Atlanta and wins over Jerry Quarry.
1971
In March, in a famous match called
"The Fight of the Century," Joe Frazier knocked Ali down, but Ali got
up. However, after 15 brutal rounds, it was still ruled that Frazier won.
In June, the Supreme Court reverses
its 1967 conviction and ruled that he was not guilty of evading the military,
since he should not have been drafted in the first place due to his religious
beliefs.
1974
January 28, he won over Joe Frazier.
October 30, he defeated George
Foreman and reclaimed the title of Heavyweight Champion of the World. This
fight was a very famous fight event known as the "Rumble in the
Jungle" since the fight was at a stadium in Zaire.
1975
October 1st, Ali beats Joe Frazier in
Manila.
1976
September 28, Ali beats Ken Norton in
Yankee Stadium in New York.
1978
February 15, Ali lost the heavyweight
title to Leon Spinks in a split decision.
September 15, Ali wins the
heavyweight title back from Leon Spinks after a battle at the Superdome in New
Orleans.
1980
Ali came back and fought with Harry
Holmes. Ali lost the fight.
1981
December 12, once again, Ali came
back and fought with Trevor Berbick. Ali lost the fight.
December 13, at the age of 39, Ali announces
his retirement from boxing.
1984
He was diagnosed with Parkinson's
disease.
1990
In December, Ali secures the release
of 14 American hostages held in Iraq during the run-up to the Gulf War. Ali had
gone to Iraq at the invitation of Saddam Hussein, who met with the former
champion for 50 minutes
1996
Ali was invited to light the Olympic
flame in Atlanta, Georgia. He accepted.
1997
He received the Arthur Ashe Courage
Award.
His picture is placed on the front of
the Wheaties cereal box.
He is named Sportsman of the Century
by Sports Illustrated.
1998
Secretary-General Kofi Annan names
Ali a United Nations Messenger of Peace.
2005
He is awarded the Presidential Medal
of Freedom, the highest U.S. civilian honor.
2012
28
July: is among a number of dignitaries and other special guests to escort the
Olympic flag during the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in Stratford, east
London.
2016
April:
makes last known public appearance at Parkinson’s fundraiser Muhammad Ali's
Celebrity Fight Night XXII.
June
3 dies in Phoenix, Arizona, at the age of 74