Portal:Louisville/Selected biography/2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. on January 17, 1942) is a retired American boxer and former three-time World Heavyweight Champion and winner of an Olympic gold medal. In 1999, Ali was crowned "Sportsman of the Century" by Sports Illustrated and the BBC.
Ali was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He was named after his father, Cassius Marcellus Clay, Sr., who was named for the 19th century abolitionist and politician Cassius Clay. Ali changed his name after joining the Nation of Islam and subsequently converted to Sunni Islam in 1975.
He barely graduated from Louisville Central High, a local basketball power, finishing 369th out of 391 graduating seniors in the class of 1960, and often traveling to fight on weekends. A principal named Atwood argued in his favor, stating to his colleagues that the boy should be given a Certificate of Attendance, given that "...one day he'll be making more money than everyone in this room."
