history
- Occupation: Boxer
- Born: January 17, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky
- Died: June 3, 2016 in Scottsdale, Arizona
- Best known for: World Heavyweight Champion
- Nickname: The Greatest
According to Duckster.com, Muhammad Ali's birth name was Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. He was born in Louisville, Kentucky on January 17, 1942. His father, Cassius Clay, Sr., worked as a sign painter and his mother, Odessa, worked as a maid. Young Cassius had a younger brother named Rudy. The Clays weren't rich, but they weren't poor either. During the time Cassius grew up, southern states like Kentucky were segregated by race. This meant that there were different facilities such as schools, restaurants, swimming pools, and restrooms for black people and white people. Laws called Jim Crow Laws enforced this separation and made life difficult on African Americans like Cassius.
Muhammad Ali retired from boxing in 1981 after losing a bout to Trevor Berbick. He spent much of his time after boxing working for charities. He also suffered from Parkinson's disease starting in 1984. Because of his work with charities and helping other people, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005 from President George Bush.