muhammad ali

English - English

Definition of muhammad ali in English English dictionary

Turkish soldier and viceroy of Egypt (1805-1848) who wrested control of Egypt from the weakening Ottoman Empire (1811) and established a modern state, over which his family ruled until 1952. a US boxer who became world heavyweight champion in 1964, and then again in 1974 and 1978, and is one of the greatest boxers ever. He changed his name from Cassius Clay when he became a Muslim in 1964 (1942- ). orig. Cassius (Marcellus) Clay born Jan. 17, 1942, Louisville, Ken., U.S. U.S. boxer. Cassius Clay took up boxing at the age of 12 and rose through the amateur ranks to win the Olympic light heavyweight crown in 1960. His first professional heavyweight title win was against Sonny Liston in 1964. After defending the title nine times between 1965 and 1967, he was stripped of it for refusing induction into the armed forces following his acceptance of the teachings of the Nation of Islam. It was then that he changed his name to Muhammad Ali. In 1974 Ali regained his title after defeating the former champion Joe Frazier and the then-current champion George Foreman. He lost to Leon Spinks in 1978 but later that year regained the title a third time, becoming the first heavyweight champion ever to do so. He retired in 1979, having lost only three of 59 fights. Attempted comebacks in 1980 and 1981 failed. Throughout his career Ali was known for his aggressive charm, invincible attitude, and colourful boasts, often expressed in doggerel verse. "I am the greatest" was his personal credo. Ali's later years have been marked by physical decline. Damage to his brain, caused by blows to the head, has resulted in slurred speech, slowed movement, and other symptoms of Parkinson disease. born 1769, Kavala, Macedonia, Ottoman Empire died Aug. 2, 1849, Alexandria, Egypt Viceroy of Egypt (1805-48) for the Ottoman Empire and founder of the dynasty that ruled Egypt until 1953. He reorganized Egyptian society in the aftermath of the Napoleonic occupation, eliminating the remnants of the Mamlks (see Mamlk dynasty), restricting native merchants and artisans, and stamping out peasant rebellions. He nationalized most land, introduced the cultivation of cash crops, and attempted to develop modern industry, but his efforts were undermined by a lack of trained workers, the deleterious effects of excessive taxation, and a common disaffection with peasant conscription. He succeeded in securing for his family the hereditary right to rule Egypt and The Sudan (1841), which opened the way to eventual independence from Ottoman domination. See also Abbs I

(born 1942 as Cassius Clay) United States heavyweight boxer

Related Terms

Muhammad Ali Jinnah

{i} (1876-1948) Indian statesman who founded Pakistan as a Muslim state, first Governor General of Pakistan from 1947 to 1948

Ali Muhammad of Shiraz

Bab ed-Din (1819-50), Persian religious leader, founder of Babism

Hyphenation

Mu·ham·mad A·li

Turkish pronunciation

mûhämıd äli

Pronunciation

/mo͝oˈhäməd ˈälē/ /mʊˈhɑːməd ˈɑːliː/