Ali was the first child of Cassius, Sr., and Odessa 
Clay. 
(2) Muhammad Ali was one of the most cele-
brated athletes of the 20th century. He produced 
some of America’s greatest sports memories, from 
winning a gold medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics 
to lighting the Olympic torch at the 1996 Summer 
Olympics. 
(3) After an impressive amateur career, during 
which he recorded 131 wins and only 7 losses and 
won 2 National AAU light heavyweight titles, Mu-
hammad Ali became the first professional boxer in 
history to capture the heavyweight title 3 separate 
times. 
(4) Muhammad Ali defeated every challenger he 
faced in the ring. But, on April 28, 1967, he was 
stripped of his boxing title and barred from com-
peting for being a conscientious objector to the war 
in Vietnam on religious and moral grounds. How-
ever, following a unanimous United States Supreme 
Court decision in 1971, Muhammad Ali’s conscien-
tious objector status was confirmed, his boxing li-
cense was reinstated, and he was cleared of any 
wrongdoing. 
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(5) As an African American and a Muslim who 
lived in an era that continued to question his civil 
rights, Muhammad Ali battled issues of race and re-
ligion, and received recognition as one of the cham-
pions of the Civil Rights Movement in the United 
States. 
(6) Muhammad Ali was the recipient of many 
awards for his sporting prowess and his support of 
racial harmony, including the Dr. Martin Luther 
King Memorial Award, the Spirit of America Award, 
the Amnesty International Lifetime Achievement 
Award, the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, the Es-
sence Living Legend Award, the Rainbow Coalition 
Lifetime Achievement Award, the XNBA Human 
Spirit Award, the Presidential Citizens Medal, and 
the Presidential Medal of Freedom. 
(7) Muhammad Ali was acknowledged by many 
organizations for his achievements both inside and 
outside the boxing ring, including being crowned 
‘‘Sportsman of the Century’’ by Sports Illustrated, 
being named ‘‘Athlete of the Century’’ by GQ maga-
zine, being named ‘‘Sports Personality of the Cen-
tury’’ by the British Broadcasting Corporation, 
being named ‘‘Kentucky Athlete of the Century’’ by 
the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame, being named 
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‘‘Kentuckian of the Century’’ by the State of Ken-
tucky, being named ‘‘Louisvillian of the Century’’ by 
the Advertising Club of Louisville, being named 
‘‘Boxer of the Century’’ by the World Sports Awards 
of the Century, being recognized by the Inter-
national Boxing Hall of Fame, and receiving hon-
orary doctorate degrees from Muhlenberg College 
and Western Kentucky University, as well as an 
honorary doctorate of humanities at Princeton Uni-
versity’s 260th graduation ceremony. 
(8) Muhammad Ali received the prestigious 
‘‘Otto Hahn Peace Medal in Gold’’ from the United 
Nations Association of Germany for his work with 
the United Nations and the Civil Rights Movement 
in the United States. 
(9) Muhammad Ali was selected by the Cali-
fornia Bicentennial Foundation for the U.S. Con-
stitution for personifying the vitality of the Bill of 
Rights in various high-profile activities. 
(10) Despite having been diagnosed with Par-
kinson’s Syndrome in the early 1980s, Muhammad 
Ali dedicated his life to the cause of universal 
human rights and freedom. His commitment to 
equal justice and peace touched the lives of hundreds 
of thousands of people worldwide. 
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(11) President Jimmy Carter asked Muhammad 
Ali to meet with African leaders in Tanzania, Kenya, 
Nigeria, Liberia, and Senegal as part of President 
Carter’s diplomatic efforts on behalf of human rights 
in the 1980s. 
(12) In 1990, Muhammad Ali traveled to the 
Middle East to seek the release of American and 
British hostages that were being held as human 
shields in the first Gulf War. As a result of his 
intervention, 15 United States hostages were freed 
on December 2nd of that year. 
(13) In 1998, Muhammad Ali was chosen as 
the ‘‘U.N. Messenger of Peace’’. 
(14) Several Presidents of the United States 
recognized Muhammad Ali, including President 
George W. Bush who, on November 17, 2002, called 
him ‘‘a man of peace’’ and stated that ‘‘across the 
world, billions of people know Muhammad Ali as a 
brave, compassionate, and charming man, and the 
American people are proud to call Muhammad Ali 
one of our own’’, President Bill Clinton who stated 
that Muhammad Ali ‘‘captured the world’s imagina-
tion and its heart. Outside the ring, Muhammad Ali 
has dedicated his life to working for children, feed-
ing the hungry, supporting his faith, and standing 
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up for racial equality. He always fought for a just 
and more humane world, breaking down barriers 
here in America and around the world. There is no 
telling how many tens of millions of people had their 
hearts swell with pride and their eyes swell with 
tears in 1996 when Muhammad Ali lit the Olympic 
torch, because we know, now and forever, he is the 
greatest’’, President Jimmy Carter who cited Mu-
hammad Ali as ‘‘Mr. International Friendship’’, and 
President Barack Obama who, as a Senator, had a 
framed picture of Muhammad Ali hanging in his of-
fice, and before announcing his intentions to run for 
President, Obama visited with Muhammad Ali at the 
Ali Center in Louisville, Kentucky. 
(15) Muhammad Ali encouraged humanity 
through his perseverance and the support of thou-
sands of people. He helped such organizations as the 
Chicago-based adoption agency, The Cradle; the 
Make-A-Wish Foundation; the Special Olympics’ or-
ganization, Best Buddies; and Herbert E. Birch 
Services, an organization that runs a school for 
handicapped children and young adults, in addition 
to a summer camp for children with AIDS. 
(16) Muhammad Ali and his wife Lonnie were 
the founding directors of the Muhammad Ali Par-
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