Muhammad Ali, the former world heavyweight champion whose boxing feats, showmanship and political activism made him one of the best-known figures of the 20th century, died on Friday aged 74. Ali, who had long suffered from Parkinson's syndrome which impaired his speech and made the once-graceful athlete almost a prisoner in his own body, died a day after he was admitted to a Phoenix-area hospital with a respiratory ailment. Stripped of his world boxing crown for refusing to join the U.S. army and go to fight in Vietnam, Ali returned in triumph by recapturing the title and starring in some of the sport's most unforgettable duels.
Continued here:
Muhammad Ali dies at 74; Obama hails ‘man who fought for us’
