Muhammad Ali's Real Name: Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.

Quick answer: Muhammad Ali was born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. He was born on January 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky, and died on June 3, 2016, in Phoenix, Arizona. He took the name Muhammad Ali after joining the Nation of Islam.

Real name and early life

Britannica and AP News identify birth name Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., born January 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky; he died June 3, 2016, in Phoenix, Arizona (Britannica; AP). He began boxing as an amateur at 12, won a gold medal in the light-heavyweight division at the 1960 Rome Olympics, then turned professional. After defeating Sonny Liston for the heavyweight title on February 25, 1964, he announced his Nation of Islam affiliation and soon adopted the name Muhammad Ali (later aligning with orthodox Islam).

Career highlights

Ali’s combination of speed, showmanship, and political courage made him a global figure. He dominated the heavyweight division, refused induction into the U.S. Army in 1967 on religious grounds, was convicted of draft evasion, stripped of his title, and barred from boxing until the Supreme Court overturned the conviction in 1971. Landmark fights include losses and wins against Joe Frazier (including the “Thrilla in Manila”), the “Rumble in the Jungle” knockout of George Foreman in 1974, and a third heavyweight title win over Leon Spinks in 1978. His record finished 56–5. Later he lived with Parkinson’s-related symptoms, lit the Olympic cauldron in Atlanta in 1996, served as a UN Messenger of Peace, and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005. History remembers Muhammad Ali; the documented birth name is Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.

Name notes for searchers

Cassius Clay was his legal birth name; Muhammad Ali was the name he chose and fought under after 1964. AP and Britannica confirm death on June 3, 2016—not later rumor dates. Prefer those outlets over unsourced social posts.