After suffering from Parkinson’s disease for three decades, boxing great Muhammad Ali passed away Friday night, just days after being hospitalized in Phoenix, Arizona, with respiratory problems. He was 74.

“I am the greatest. I said that even before I knew I was,” said Ali. “I figured that if I said it enough, I would convince the world that I really was the greatest.”

Ali, whose real name was Cassius Clay, had lived quietly in Arizona with his fourth wife, Lonnie, whom he married in 1986. The famous athlete had made fewer and fewer appearances in recent years and had not spoken in public in some time.

But Ali’s legacy has been — and forever will be — etched in the history books as one of the greatest figures of sports and pop culture of our time. Not only was he known for his pugilistic prowess, he was known for proudly standing up for his social and religious beliefs.

He started boxing when he was 12. At age 22, in 1964, he became the world heavyweight boxing champion, beating Sonny Liston.

Three years later he joined the Nation of Islam, changed his name to Muhammad Ali and refused to serve in the military during the Vietnam War. He was found guilty of draft dodging and stripped of his boxing title (which he appealed all the way to the Supreme Court, and eventually won, in 1971). He did not fight from 1967-70, opting instead to speak at colleges across the nation as a critic of the Vietnam War and an advocate for racial justice.

When he did return to the ring, he went on to claim the title two more times during the 1970s, when he defeated both Joe Frazier and George Foreman. His “Thrilla in Manilla” fight in the Philippines in 1975 earned that nickname because Ali and Frazier punched it out in near-100 degree weather as the world watched. After 15 rounds, Ali emerged victorious.

In 1978, Ali lost his title to Leon Spinks, but won it back in a rematch just six months later, making him the first fighter to win the heavyweight title three times.

“I’ve wrestled with alligators / I’ve tussled with a whale / I done handcuffed lightning / And throw thunder in jail.”

He was known for his unique style, relying on speed and constant motion, dancing and circling opponents as opposed to simply trying to deliver overpowering punches. He kept his hands low, throwing quick jabs from different angles. His strong footwork made it difficult for opponents to avoid his blows.

Ali briefly retired in 1980 only to return to face Larry Holmes. It was Ali’s first loss by knockout. His final fight was in 1981 when he lost a 10-round decision to Trevor Berbick. The boxing great’s final record was 56 wins and 5 losses.

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In 1981 Ali retired from the ring for good. Three years later he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. In 1996 he trembled visibly while lighting the Olympic torch in Atlanta. Doctors said the Parkinson’s likely was caused by the thousands of jabs and hits to the head Ali took during his globe-trotting career.

Part of Ali’s charm was that so many felt his gift of gab rivaled his ability to jab.

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His quotes — such as “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” — became part of his lore.

The father of seven daughters and two sons from four marriages, Ali had been hospitalized several times in recent years, most recently in early 2015 when he was treated for a severe urinary tract infection that was initially diagnosed as pneumonia.

“If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it — then I can achieve it.”

In 2005, Ali and his wife bought a $1.64-million, six-bedroom home in Paradise Valley, a small exclusive community between Phoenix and Scottsdale. That same year, the Muhammad Ali Center, a museum and cultural center that aims to promote peace, social responsibility, and personal growth, was opened in Louisville.

In 1994 Arizona businessman Jimmy Walker founded the Celebrity Fight Night Foundation in Phoenix; three years later, Ali agreed to be the event’s featured guest. He served in that role ever since. The event has become a major fund-raiser for the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow Neurological Institute.

As Ali once said: “Don’t count the days; make the days count.” He also said: “One day we’re all going to die, and God is going to judge [our] good deeds and bad deeds. If the bad outweighs the good, you go to hell. If the good outweighs the bad, you go to heaven.”

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