Muhammad Ali :: Cassius Clay

Muhammad AliAlso known as Cassius Marcellus Clay, Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr., Cassius Clay(1942- )Professional boxerPersonal InformationBorn Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. name changed to Muhammad Ali, 1963 born January, 17, 1942, in Louisville, KY son of Cassius (a piano player) and Odessa Clay (both deceased) first wife, Belinda second wife, Aaisha third wife, Veronica Porche fourth (and current) wife, Yolanda Williams, married in 1986 children nine (one with Yolanda). Religion Muslim. Addresses Home--P.O. Box 187, Berrien Springs, MI 59103. life historyFormer world heavyweight boxing champion. Began professional career, 1960 initially became heavyweight champ, 1964 stripped of title and boxing license over refusal to participate in the Vietnam War, 1966 retired from boxing, 1981. Appeared in film The sterling(prenominal), 1976, and television film Freedom Road.Awards majestic Gold Medal in boxing, 1960 six Kentucky Golden Gloves titles National Golden Gloves titles, 1959-60 World Heavyweight Championship, 1964-67, 1974-78, 1978-79 U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, inductee, 1983 named the greatest heavyweight champion of all time, Ring Magazine, 1987 International Boxing Hall of Fame, inductee, 1990 Jim Thorpe Pro Sports Award, Lifetime Achievement, 1992 Muhammad Ali Museum, Louisville Galleria, opened 1995 Essence Award, 1997.Writings     (With Richard Durham) The Greatest My Own Story, Random House, 1975.Biographical InformationThree-time world heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali, known for his lyrical charm and boasts as much as for his tidy fists, has moved far beyond the boxing ring in both influence and purpose. Ali won an Olympic gold medal and later tossed it into a river because he was disgusted by racism in America. As a young man he was recruited by Malcolm X to join the Nation of Islam. He refused to assist in Vietnam--a professional fighter willing to serve time in jail for his pacifist ideals. He has contributed to countless , diverse charities and causes. And his later years have comprise him interested in world politics as he has battled to keep Parkinsons disease at bay.Muhammad Ali was born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr., on January 17, 1942, and was raised in a clapboard house at 3302 Grand Avenue in middle-class Louisville, Kentucky. He began boxing at the age of 12. A white Louisville patrolman named Joe Martin, who had an betimes television show called "Tomorrows Champions," started Ali working out in Louisvilles Columbia Gym, but it was a black trainer named Fred Stoner who taught Ali the science of boxing. Stoner taught him to move with the mercy of a dancer, and impressed upon him the subtle skills necessary to move beyond good and into the realm of great.