Born January 17, 1942, as Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr., Muhammad Ali earned a reputation as a man dedicated to his goals and beliefs. After an illustrious boxing careerincluding three world heavyweight boxing championshipsAli was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Muhammad Ali and his "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" style of fighting dominated the world of heavyweight boxing for a decade and a half. As a teenager named Cassius Clay, he won the gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 1960 Olympic Games. He later earned the title of world heavyweight champion, and became internationally famous for his confidence both in and out of the boxing ring. But when Ali lit the flame to open the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia, his arm visibly shook as he raised the torch. The former fighter suffers from Parkinson's disease, a condition probably caused by the blows he received from opponents. Throughout his busy and sometimes controversial public life, Ali remains one of the most famous and popular athletes of the twentieth century. A consummate showman, he used to call himself "the Greatest," and many of his fans believe that the nickname fits. Born Cassius Clay in Louisville, Kentucky, Ali was raised in a middle-class neighborhood, the eldest of two sons born to Cassius Marcellus Clay Sr. and Odessa (Grady) Clay. Ali's father supported his family as a sign and mural painter, while his mother worked as a domestic. Ali worshiped with his family on Sundays at Mount Zion Baptists Church and attended school with brother Rudolph Valentino Clay (now Rahaman Ali) at DuValle Junior High School and Central High School in Louisville. Ali was a rather poor student, which he blames on his preoccupation with boxing as a boy. Regrettably, Ali has confessed that he wished he had put forth more effort academically, because he has struggled as a slow reader his entire life. Ali began boxing when he was 12 after his bicycle was stole...
