A special tribute to Muhammad Ali, nicknamed “The Greatest” for his many accomplishments in and out of the ring.

At the Rome 1960 Olympic Games an 18-year-old Cassius Clay captured a boxing gold medal for the United States in the light-heavyweight division, without knowing the impossible heights he would someday reach. (AP Photo)

On Feb. 25, 1964, rising star Clay came into his world heavyweight bout with Sonny Liston as the underdog and ended up shocking the world. “I shook up the world. I shook up the world. I’m a bad man.” In the aftermath of the fight, Clay converted to the Nation of Islam and became known as Muhammad Ali. (AP Photo)

One of the most iconic images in all of sport: Ali knocked out Liston in their second bout on May 25, 1965, with a famed phantom punch—thus named because many in attendance didn’t even see Ali throw it. (John Rooney/AP)

George Chuvalo fought Ali twice (in 1966 and 1972), losing both times, but both times going the distance. This earned him the respect of Ali, who said of Chuvalo: “He’s the toughest guy I ever fought.” (AP Photo)

In 1967, Ali refused to be drafted into the United States military to fight in the Vietnam war, publicly stating: “No Viet Cong ever called me nigger.” As a result, Ali was stripped of his world title, his passport and was denied a boxing licence in every state. (Ed Kolenovsky/AP)

On Aug. 12, 1970, the City of Atlanta Athletic Commission granted Ali a boxing licence, despite his case still in appeal. Having not fought since he defended his world championship against Zora Folley in 1967, Ali showed no rust in his Oct. 26 return to the ring, beating Jerry Quarry in three rounds. (AP Photo)

On March 8, 1971, Ali got his first chance at regaining his heavyweight title in a match dubbed “The Fight of the Century” against the intimidating “Smokin” Joe Frazier. Ali suffered his first professional loss in a bout that remains one of the greatest in boxing history. (AP Photo)

On Oct. 30, 1974, Ali fought world heavyweight champion George Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire, a.k.a. “The Rumble in the Jungle.” Despite being unfavoured due to the age difference, Ali managed to knock out the younger, stronger Foreman. (AP Photo)

A year after beating Foreman, Ali fought Frazier for the third and final time in "The Thrilla in Manila." Ali won via technical knockout after the 14th round, with the major damage coming in the 13th when Frazier appeared to be retreating from Ali. (AP Photo)

After briefly retiring for a second time, Ali returned to boxing to face Larry Holmes on Oct. 2, 1980. Holmes dominated Ali and expressed regret afterwards, crying while saying how much he respected Ali. (AP Photo)

At the Atlanta 1996 Olympics, Ali lit the torch to open the Games. It was the first time many people had seen him following his diagnosis with Parkinson's disease in 1984. (Michael Probst/AP)

Ali was invited to be a titular flag bearer for the London 2012 Olympic Games. He was helped by his wife, Lonnie, because the Parkinson’s had advanced so much that he could no longer carry the flag himself. (Cameron Spencer/AP)