Today, June 4, marks the 7th death anniversary of legendary boxer Mohamed Ali Kaly, fondly known as "The Greatest".
Born and raised in Kentucky, he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century and is often regarded as the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time.
When he was just 18, Klay was awarded a gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 1960 Summer Olympics and turned professional later that year.
Throughout his outstanding career, he won many titles, including the world heavyweight championship, defeating Sonny Liston in a major upset on February 25, 1964, at age 22.
During that year, he condemned his birth name as a "slave name" and formally changed his name to Muhammad Ali.
As the Vietnam War erupted in 1967, Klay 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.
Ali was convicted of evading military duty, sentenced to five years in prison, and fined $10,000, although he remained free while the conviction was appealed.
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.
The late boxer and activist 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.
In 2002, Klay received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to the entertainment industry. His unique star is the only one to be mounted on a vertical surface, out of deference to his request that the name Muhammad, a name he shares with the Islamic prophet, not be walked upon
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