The world remembers Muhammad Ali, the greatest boxer in the world, on his 84th birthday today.
Louisville’s star Muhammad Ali will be receiving a birthday gift from the United States Postal Service (USPS): A commemorative stamp will be honouring Ali and will be available from the postal service starting January 15th.
Muhammad Ali is known as ‘The Greatest.’ He was a World Heavyweight Champion and won that title 3 times. He was also a humanitarian and a global cultural figure. The stamp will be available from January 15th to honour Ali’s 84th birthday. He passed away in 2016
The stamp will be available from January 15. A USPS art director, Antonio Alcalá has made the stamp. The stamp has a picture by the Associated Press, made in 1974. Ali’s picture will be on the stamp; in the picture he will be in his signature boxing stance.
The stamps will be issued in two different colours. The difference will be one will have a red font and the other will have a blue font.
His real name was Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. He was born on January 17th, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky. Ali started boxing at age twelve. He won a gold medal at the light heavyweight level which was in the 1960 Summer Olympics. He turned pro after that.
He knocked out Sonny Liston in 1964 and that is also when he changed the name. he thought the name Cassius Clay was a slave name. He started calling himself Muhammad Ali.
Ali’s impact was not limited to sports alone. In 1967, due to his religious beliefs and refusal to fight the Vietnam war, in which he was drafted, and after being convicted of draft evasion, he lost his boxing titles. In 1971, the Supreme Court reversed his conviction, and he was allowed to fight again.
Ali was the poster child of the civil rights movement and racial justice. His outstanding talent and multiple heavyweight title achievements won him sportsman of the century awards from the BBC and Sports Illustrated in 1999.
Ali’s impact will always be remembered not only for his athleticism but his humanitarianism and fight for justice.
Also read: Boxer Aslam Khan: Inspirational stories from the ring
