To MUHAMMAD ALI

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Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American boxer.

Ali was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He was named after his father, Cassius Marcellus Clay, Sr. Ali changed his name after converting toIslam in 1965. Because of his Islamic beliefs, Ali would not fight in the Vietnam War when the army tried drafting him. This made him an international figure around the world. Ali retired from boxing in 1981. In the early 1980s, it was found out that Ali had Parkinson's syndrome. He became well known for his social work and charity .

He became one of the most famous boxers in the world with his "rope-a-dope" technique. He was also well known for his clever rhymes. In 1999, Ali was named "Sportsman of the Century" by Sports Illustrated magazine. He won the World Heavyweight Boxing Championship three times. Ali also won an Olympic gold medal for boxing during the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy.

In 1966, two years after winning the heavyweight title, Ali further antagonized the white establishment in the U.S. by refusing to be conscripted into the U.S. military, citing his religious beliefs and opposition to American involvement in the Vietnam War. He was eventually arrested, found guilty of draft evasion charges and stripped of his boxing titles. He successfully appealed in the U.S. Supreme Court, which overturned his conviction in 1971, by which time he had not fought for nearly four years--losing a period of peak performance as an athlete. Ali's actions as a conscientious objector to the war made him an icon for the larger counterculture generation.

Convicted of draft evasion, Ali was sentenced to the maximum of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine, but he remained free while the conviction was appealed. Many saw Ali as a draft dodger, and his popularity plummeted. Banned from boxing for three years, Ali spoke out against the Vietnam War on college campuses.

As public attitudes turned against the war, support for Ali grew. In 1970 the New York State Supreme Court ordered his boxing license reinstated, and the following year the U.S. Supreme Court overturned his conviction in a unanimous decision.