Muhammad Ali was an American professional boxer who is considered one of the greatest heavyweights of all time. He won the heavyweight title three times, in 1964, 1974, and 1978. Ali was a highly controversial figure for refusing to fight in the Vietnam War due to religious beliefs. He was stripped of his title and banned from boxing for nearly four years but had his conviction overturned by the Supreme Court in 1971. Despite being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, Ali remains an iconic figure who is admired for his boxing skills, principles of religious freedom and racial justice.