--- title: Muhammad Ali Photos: 12 of His Greatest Portraits description: The greatest images of "the Greatest" from the archives of LIFE magazine, in celebration of his birthday canonical: https://time.com/4157934/muhammad-ali-greatest-photos/ author: Eliza Berman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-01-14T15:30:57.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T05:00:42.907Z og:title: See 12 of the Greatest Photos of Muhammad Ali og:description: The greatest images of "the Greatest" from the archives of LIFE magazine, in celebration of his birthday og:url: https://time.com/4157934/muhammad-ali-greatest-photos/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9cd792beebd7a3d7/6988766f0b72e3b0336e7606/151221-muhammad-ali-02.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: Cassius Clay 1963 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: See 12 of the Greatest Photos of Muhammad Ali twitter:description: The greatest images of "the Greatest" from the archives of LIFE magazine, in celebration of his birthday twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9cd792beebd7a3d7/6988766f0b72e3b0336e7606/151221-muhammad-ali-02.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # See 12 of the Greatest Photos of Muhammad Ali > Sponsored content. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription.  by [Eliza Berman](https://time.com/author/eliza-berman/)  ## Eliza Berman Berman is a senior editor at TIME. Jan 14, 2016 3:30 PM UTC  Boxer Cassius Clay (later Muhammad Ali), 1963. Boxer Cassius Clay (later Muhammad Ali), 1963. James Drake—The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images  by [Eliza Berman](https://time.com/author/eliza-berman/)  ## Eliza Berman Berman is a senior editor at TIME. Jan 14, 2016 3:30 PM UTC Muhammad Ali, who turns 74 on Jan. 17, is best known as one of the greatest heavyweights in the history of boxing. But in his spare time, the People’s Champion enjoyed a pastime rather dissimilar from his athletic pursuits: writing poetry. In 1966, LIFE photographer Gordon Parks spent time with Ali in London, following his winning bout against Henry Cooper. Ali was fighting abroad due to controversies at home: many would-be fans were critical of his involvement with the Nation of Islam and his refusal to serve after being drafted to fight in Vietnam. The Illinois Athletic Commission refused to sanction a fight between him and heavyweight champion Ernie Terrell following statements Ali made saying that the Viet Cong had never shown him any ill will—rather overtly implying that white Americans had. It was a tense time for Ali. Parks aimed to uncover the man behind the showboating and bravado, a man who had been portrayed by the press as anti-white and a traitor to his country. So the photographer, who also occasionally wrote features for the magazine, began his profile of the boxer with Ali’s reaction to the media maelstrom, written in his own words—and in verse. About the bad press, Ali had this to say: --- > “” --- In honor of Ali’s birthday, here is a collection of LIFE’s greatest portraits of the fighter, from the days when he was known as Cassius Clay to his comeback in the early 1970s. _Liz Ronk, who edited this gallery, is the Photo Editor for LIFE.com. Follow her on Twitter_ [_@lizabethronk_](https://twitter.com/LizabethRonk)_._  Heavyweight contender Cassius Clay (later Muhammad Ali), getting his poetic mouth taped by trainer Angelo Dundee during his weigh-in before big fight with Doug Jones, 1963. George Silk—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Boxer Cassius Clay (later Muhammad Ali), 1963. James Drake—The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images  Cassius Clay (later Muhammad Ali) after defeating Doug Jones in a close heavyweight bout at Madison Square Garden, 1963. George Silk—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Cassius Clay (later Muhammad Ali) holding up three fingers while reciting a poem predicting that opponent Charlie Powell will fall in the third round, 1963. Marvin Lichtner—The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images  Malcolm X teasingly leaning on the shoulder of a tuxedo-clad Cassius Clay (later Muhammad Ali), who is sitting at a soda fountain counter, surrounded by jubilant fans after beating Sonny Liston for the heavyweight championship of the world, 1964. Bob Gomel—The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images  Cassius Clay (later Muhammad Ali) taking a mock shot at the Beatles: (L-R) Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison, 1964 Mike Smith—The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images  Muhammad Ali resting, holding a picture of Sonny Liston, whom he is training to fight for a second time, 1965. Bob Gomel—The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images  Muhammad Ali preparing to give a boxing demonstration at a Nation of Islam Rally, Chicago, March 1, 1965. Frank Dandridge—The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images  World heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali after winning a bout against Cleveland Williams, 1966. Bob Gomel—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Muhammad Ali, posing outside the Alvin theater where "The Great White Hope" is playing, 1968. Bob Gomel—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Muhammad Ali training for his fight against Joe Frazier, 1971. John Shearer—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Muhammad Ali taunting Joe Frazier, 1971. 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