On this day, the world heavyweight boxing champion, Cassius Clay, having recently announced to the world that he had accepted the teachings of the Nation of Islam, formally changed his name to Muhammad Ali. One of boxing’s most iconic champions, Ali’s refusal to fight in the Vietnam war led to his exclusion from professional boxing for three and a half years and a five year prison sentence which was later overturned. He became, as a consequence, a leading light in the American civil rights movement in the 1960s. When he returned to boxing in October 1970, although he was perhaps no longer the fearsome adversary that he had once been, he regained the title of world heavyweight boxing champion and won a number of memorable matches. His career finally came to an end when, having retired from boxing, he made an ill-advised comeback at the end of the 1970s.
