Muhammad Ali

Born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. on January 17, 1942. A stolen bicycle led him to boxing at age 12—he wanted to 'whup' the thief. By 18, he'd won Olympic gold in Rome. But returning to segregated Louisville, he was refused service at a restaurant. The gold medal was thrown in the Ohio River.

Unbeaten as a professional, Ali talked as much as he fought. 'I am the greatest!' he proclaimed before beating Sonny Liston for the heavyweight title in 1964. The next day, he announced his conversion to Islam and changed his name: Muhammad Ali—'Praised One.'

'I ain't got no quarrel with them Viet Cong.' Refusing induction into the Army on religious grounds, Ali was stripped of his titles and banned from boxing. He lost his prime years—age 25 to 28—facing prison time. But he became a symbol of resistance, speaking at colleges while his case went to the Supreme Court.

In Kinshasa, Zaire, Ali faced the terrifying George Foreman. Using the 'Rope-a-Dope,' he let Foreman punch himself out, then knocked him out in the 8th round. At 32, he was champion again. The 'Thrilla in Manila' against Frazier followed—a brutal battle where both men nearly died.

Diagnosed with Parkinson's syndrome in 1984, likely from ring damage, Ali became a global humanitarian. He lit the Olympic torch in Atlanta, trembling but triumphant. Peace missions to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Cuba. Muhammad Ali wasn't just the greatest boxer—he was the greatest human being he could be.