Did you know? Muhammad Ali was born as Cassius Clay to a Methodist father and a Baptist mother,before converting to Islam and adopting his more popular name.
Muhammad Ali was a legendary name in boxing, and was
probably the best ever to take up the grueling sport. Ali's
famous philosophy "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee"
changed the game for the better by making it more
attractive. His boxing style took the world by storm and left
many an opponent blown away by its enigmatic brutality.
Here are some of the landmarks in Muhammad Ali's boxing
career right from the very beginning to the very end:

Timeline of Ali's Career

1954 : When Clay was 12 years old, his bike was stolen.
Although he did report the crime, he also promised to
'whup whoever stole it'. The policeman to whom he
reported the crime, Joe Martin, took him under his wing
and coached the youngster on boxing. Over the next 6
years, Clay went on to win six Kentucky Golden Gloves
championships, two Amateur Athletic Union crowns and
two Golden Gloves titles.
1960 : Clay won the light-heavyweight gold medal at the
Summer Olympics held in Rome, defeating Polish wrestler
Zbigniew Pietrzykowski with a 5-0 decision. On returning to
Louisville, Clay discovered that, despite the gold medal, he
was not immune to racism. He was refused service by a
waitress in a 'whites-only' restaurant and was also forced to
fight with a white gang. Disgusted with the racist behavior
meted out to him, Clay threw his gold medal in the Ohio
River. Despite all this turbulence, he turned into a
professional boxer and went on to win two titles.
1964 : Clay beat Sonny Liston in a six-round bout to become
the heavyweight champion of the world. Before this fight,
Ali announced his famous mantra, "float like a butterfly,
sting like a bee". Contrary to the prevalent norms of the
period, Ali held his hands low and relied on quick footwork
to dodge punches, rather than guarding his face with his
hands. After the fight, Clay announced his decision to
become a Black Muslim and changed his name to
Muhammad Ali.

1967: In April 1967 Ali refused to serve in the US Army,
citing the Holy Qur'an as his reason not to fight. His famous
quote 'I ain't got no quarrel with those Vietcong' speaks of
the racial abuse Ali had to suffer in his homeland. This
behavior angered many Americans and he was stripped of
the WBA (World Boxing Association) title and also lost his
fighting license. He was found guilty of draft evasion
(refusing/remaining unavailable for military selection) by
the court of law. He was fined USD 10,000 and was also
sentenced to five years in prison. Although he managed to
avoid prison, he was not allowed to box.

1970 : As there was no State Boxing Commission in Georgia,
Ali was able to return to the ring in Atlanta, where he
knocked out Jerry Quarry in three rounds.
1971 : Ali lost to heavyweight champion Joe Frazier in
March. Later in June, the Supreme Court ruled in Ali's favor
and reversed the draft evasion conviction that was passed
out against him in 1967.

1974: Not only did Ali defeat Joe Frazier in 1974, but he also
won the heavyweight title in the famous 'Rumble in the
Jungle' contest, beating George Foreman using the 'rope-a-
dope' tactic. Ali backed away against the ropes of the rings,
inviting Foreman's punches. However, Foreman's punches
were inaccurate, and after being drained out by the effort
of attacking Ali's doggedly defensive stance, he was blown
away by Ali's final blitzkrieg. This ferocious counterattacking
style then became Ali's trademark.

1978: Ali lost his belt to the 1976 Olympic gold medalist
Leon Spinks in a 15-round split decision. However, seven
months later, Ali won his title back with a unanimous
decision.

1979: Muhammad announced his retirement from
professional boxing on June 27.

1980: Ali came out of retirement to fight the new
heavyweight champ Larry Holmes. However, this ended
badly for Ali, as Holmes knocked him out in the 11th round.
1981: Ali lost again, this time to Trevor Berbick. He retired
for the second, and last, time with a career win-loss record
of 56-5.
1984 : Three years after he retired, Ali was diagnosed with
Parkinson's disease. This neurological condition is common
among sports which inherently carry the constant risk of
concussions, such as boxing.
1996: Ali was chosen to ignite the Olympic cauldron to
signal the beginning of the 1996 Summer Olympics in
Atlanta. He was also gifted with a second gold medal to
replace the one that he had tossed in the Ohio River 36
years earlier.

Muhammad Ali's Family

Muhammad Ali was born as Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr., on
January 17, 1942, to Odessa and Cassius, Sr., in Louisville,
Kentucky. He has a younger brother, Rudolph, who also
trained in heavyweight boxing. Rudolph later changed his
name to Rahman Ali.Muhammad Ali married four times
and has nine children.
His children (from eldest to youngest) Maryum, twins
Rasheda and Jamila, and Muhammad, Jr., with Belinda
Boyd / Khalilah Ali (married 1967 - 1977); daughters Hana
and Laila with Veronica Porsche (m. 1977 - 1986); adoptive
son Asaad with Yolanda Williams (m. 1986 - present) and
daughters Miya and Khaliah from extramarital
relationships. Ali's first marriage with Sonji Roi lasted from
1964 to 1966; Roi's objections to certain Islamic customs
led to their divorce. He didn't have a child with Roi. His
daughter Laila began her professional boxing career in
1999 and is unbeaten till today.
Even in his Parkinson's-riddled old age, Ali was one the
most recognizable faces in the world, and, in the eyes of
many, the one true lord of 'the ring'. On June 3, 2016,
Muhammad Ali passed away. He was hospitalized the
previous day, put on life support, but his condition did not
improve. His death meant the loss of an iconic figure in
sports.