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Muhammad Ali is born.
Muhammad was born - Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. at 6:35 p.m. in Louisville, Kentucky to Cassius Clay Sr. and Odessa Grady Clay. -
Period: to
Birth-Retirement
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Ali first began to fight.
In 1954 in Louisville, Kentucky, 12-year-old Cassius Marcellus Clay's bike was stolen while he and a friend were at the Columbia Auditorium. Young Cassius found a cop in a gym, Joe Martin, and boiling with youthful rage, told Martin he was going to "whup whoever stole his bike. Martin admonished, "You better learn to box first." Within weeks, 89-pound Cassius had his first bout-his first win. For the next 27 years, Cassius would be in that ring. -
Olympics are held- Ali is part onthem at age 18.
In 1960, the Olympic Games were held in Rome. Muhammad Ali, then 18 years old, had already won national tournaments such as the Golden Gloves and so he felt ready to compete in the Olympics. -
Ali wins Olympic gold medal.
Muhammad Ali (then still known as Cassius Clay) fought against Zbigniew Pietrzyskowski from Poland in the light-heavyweight championship bout. In a unanimous decision, the judges declared Ali the winner, which meant Ali had won the Olympic gold medal. -
It all begins.
Muhammad Ali had become the heavyweight boxing champion of the world. -
Slave name is gone.
When he joined the Nation of Islam he shed his "slave name" (he had been named after a white abolitionist that had freed his slaves) and took on the new name of Muhammad Ali. -
Excrutiating battle.
Ali returned to a Houston boxing ring to fight Terrell in what became one of the uglier fights in boxing. Terrell had angered Ali by calling him Clay, and the champion vowed to punish him for this insult. During the fight, Ali kept shouting at his opponent, "What's my name, Uncle Tom ... What's my name." Terrell suffered 15 rounds of brutal punishment, losing 13 of 15 rounds on two judges' scorecards, but Ali did not knock him out. -
Ali is called for the war.
Muhammad Ali received a draft notice. -
Tried amd found guilty of evasion.
In June 1967, Muhammad Ali was tried and found guilty of draft evasion. Although he was fined $10,000 and sentenced to five years in jail, he remained out on bail while he appealed. -
Ali announced retirement.
After the Frazier fight in 1975, Muhammad Ali announced his retirement.
