60 YEARS AGO TODAY:
3/6/64 - Cassius Clay joins the Nation of Islam and changes his name to Muhammad Ali, declaring his former name his "slave name"
Ali had just won the Heavy Weight Title ten days ago ... and was now using his platform as Heavyweight Champion of the World to make his announcement (even though those closest to him indicated that he had already been a Muslim for the past few years.)
Ali's ties to Malcolm X and Elijah Muhammad helped to spread the word.
In the boxing world, most of his opponents at first refused to accept or call him by his new name ... causing Ali to shout "What's my name? What's my name?" while pummeling them in the ring.
Soon the whole world acknowledged that Cassius Clay was no more ...
And it was Muhammad Ali that would go down as one of the greatest fighters of all time ... or, in his own words, "The Greatest"
Also on 3/6, Eddie Fisher and Elizabeth Taylor divorce
