Muhammad
Ali (17 January 1942 – 03 June 2016) was an American professional
boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of
the most significant sports figures of the 20th century and is
frequently ranked as the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time.In 1999,
he was named Sportsman of the Century by Sports Illustrated and the
Sports Personality of the Century by the BBC.
Outside boxing,
Ali attained success as a spoken word artist, releasing two studio
albums: I Am the Greatest! (1963) and The Adventures of Ali and His Gang
vs. Mr. Tooth Decay (1976). Both albums received Grammy Award
nominations. He also featured as an actor and writer, releasing two
autobiographies. Ali retired from boxing in 1981 and focused on
religion, philanthropy and activism. In 1984, he made public his
diagnosis of Parkinson's syndrome, which some reports attributed to
boxing-related injuries,though he and his specialist physicians disputed
this.He remained an active public figure globally, but in his
later years made fewer public appearances as his condition worsened, and
he was cared for by his family.