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Born
Ali was born in Louisville, Kentucky January 17, 1942 -
Cassius Clay won his first professional fight.
In Louisville, October 29, 1960, Cassius Clay won his first professional fight. He won a six-round decision over Tunney Hunsaker, who was the police chief of Fayetteville, West Virginia. -
From 1960 to 1963
From 1960 to 1963, the young fighter amassed a record of 19-0, with 15 knockouts. He defeated such boxers as Tony Esperti, Jim Robinson, Donnie Fleeman, Alonzo Johnson, George Logan, Willi Besmanoff, Lamar Clark (who had won his previous 40 bouts by knockout), Doug Jones, and Henry Cooper. -
Vietnam War
In 1964, Ali failed the Armed Forces qualifying test because his writing and spelling skills were inadequate. However, in early 1966, the tests were revised and Ali was reclassified 1A. He refused to serve in the United States Army during the Vietnam War -
Ali was scheduled to fight WBA
Ali was scheduled to fight WBA champion Ernie Terrell in a unification bout in Toronto on March 29, 1966, but Terrell backed out and Ali won a 15-round decision against substitute opponent George Chuvalo -
The uglier fights in boxing.
On February 6, 1967, Ali returned to a Houston boxing ring to fight Terrell in what became one of the uglier fights in boxing. -
Ali was banned from boxing for three years.
As the Vietnam War raged in 1967 Ali refused to serve in the U.S. military for religious reasons. The heavyweight champion was arrested, and the New York State Athletic Commission immediately suspended his boxing license and stripped him of his title. In 1970 the New York State Supreme Court ordered his boxing license reinstated, and he returned to the ring by knocking out Jerry Quarry in October 1970. The following year the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Ali’s conviction in a unanimous decision -
Fight of the Century.
After being unable to box because of his conviction of draft dodging, Ali was finally able to meet the reigning heavyweight champion and Frazier in the ring on March 8, 1971, at Madison Square Garden. The fight was known as ‘”The Fight of the Century,” Ali lost his first professional fight of his career. -
Rumble in the jungle
Ali regained his title on October 30, 1974, by defeating champion George Foreman in their bout in Kinshasa, Zaire. It was one of the greatest sporting upsets in boxing. Ali out danced the tiring Foreman to knock him out in the 8th round. -
His Olympic gold medal may be submerged on a river bottom.
Ali wrote in his 1975 autobiography that after returning to Louisville, he threw his gold medal off a bridge and into the Ohio River to protest the racism that he still encountered in his hometown. -
Fighter of the year
was named the magazine's fighter of the year in 1972, 1974, 1975 and 1978
