Arguably the most recognized sporting icons of the 20th Century, Ali was a champion heavyweight boxer and outspoken activist. He changed his name from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali, refusing to carry a slave name, becoming a strong advocate for racial pride for African Americans. He refused to be drafted into the war to fight in Vietnam, stating “I ain’t got no quarrel with them Vietcong.” He was found guilty of draft evasion and stripped of his boxing titles, only to have his conviction overturned by the US Supreme Court in 1971. Ali returned to boxing with great fanfare and mixed success, until his retirement from the sport in 1981 at the age of 39. A philanthropist and humanitarian, he unfortunately was found to have Parkinson’s disease in 1984. He continued to do appearance at charities and causes, including lighting the torch at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.