Muhammad Ali turned 70 today, just a few days after being feted by friends and admirers
"He's glad he's here to turn 70, but he wants to be reassured he doesn't look 70," his wife Lonnie told the Associated Press.
The boxing legend has led one of the most public and consequential lives of any athlete -- from his polarizing prime during the turbulent '60s to his emergence as a global icon in his later life. Below are some of the most beautiful and enduring shots of his long, storied life.
Muhammad Ali Through The Years
Muhammad Ali Through The Years(01 of14)
Sonny Liston lies out for the count after being KO'd in the first round of his return title fight by world heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali, Lewiston, Maine, May 25, 1965. (Hulton Archive / Getty Images) (credit:Hulton Archive / Getty Images)
Muhammad Ali Through The Years(02 of14)
Photo of Muhammed Ali circa 1970. (Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images) (credit:Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images)
Muhammad Ali Through The Years(03 of14)
In this 1954 file photo, boxer Cassius Clay is shown. Long before his dazzling footwork and punching prowess made him a three-time world heavyweight boxing champion known as Muhammad Ali, a young Cassius Clay honed his skills by sparring with neighborhood friends and running alongside the bus on the way to school. Ali turns 70 on Jan. 17, 2012. (AP) (credit:Ed Kolenovsky, AP)
Muhammad Ali Through The Years(04 of14)
In this Feb. 8, 1962 file photo, a young Muhammad Ali is seen with his trainer Angelo Dundee at City Parks Gym in New York. The three-time heavyweight boxing champion will celebrate a milestone birthday Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2012, when he turns 70. Ali will be surrounded by friends who are gathering Saturday evening, Jan. 14, for a birthday party at the Muhammad Ali Center in his hometown of Louisville. (Dan Grossi, AP) (credit:Dan Grossi, AP)
Muhammad Ali Through The Years(05 of14)
In this Nov. 15, 1962, file photo, young heavyweight boxer Cassius Clay, who later changed his name to Muhammad Ali, points to a sign he wrote on a chalk board in his dressing room before his fight against Archie Moore in Los Angeles, predicting he'd knock Moore out in the fourth round, which he went on to do. The sign also predicts Clay will be the next champ via a knockout over Sonny Liston in eight rounds. He did it in seven rounds. Ali turns 70 on Jan. 17, 2012. (Harold P. Matosian, AP) (credit:Harold P. Matosian, AP)
Muhammad Ali Through The Years(06 of14)
US boxer Muhammad Ali in training for a match against Brian London, Aug. 1966. (R. McPhedran, Express / Getty Images (credit:R. McPhedran, Express / Getty Images)
Muhammad Ali Through The Years(07 of14)
American heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali, circa 1970. The man in front of him is wearing a t-shirt printed with Ali's motto 'Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee'. (Chris Smith, Hulton Archive / Getty Images) (credit:Chris Smith, Hulton Archive / Getty Images)
Muhammad Ali Through The Years(08 of14)
In this Sept. 3, 1960, file photo, Cassius Clay, right, 18-year-old from Louisville, Ky., throws a right at Tony Madigan of Australia, during the light heavyweight boxing semifinals at the Summer Olympic Games in Rome, Italy. Cassius Clay later changed his name to Muhammad Ali. Ali turns 70 on Jan. 17, 2012. (AP) (credit:AP)
Muhammad Ali Through The Years(09 of14)
British pop group The Beatles, (L-R) Paul McCartney, John Lennon (1940 - 1980), Ringo Starr and George Harrison (1943 - 2001), pose for a photo with Cassius Clay (now Muhammad Ali), contender for the World Heavyweight Boxing title, at his training camp in Miami. Original Publication: People Disc - HU0064 (Keystone / Getty Images) (credit:Keystone / Getty Images)
Muhammad Ali Through The Years(10 of14)
In this April 4, 1963 file photo, heavyweight boxer Cassius Clay is seen with his mother, Odessa Grady Clay, in a car outside their home in Louisville, Ky. The man who became the world's most recognizable athlete was a baby sitter, a jokester and a dreamer in the predominantly black West End neighborhood of Louisville where he grew up and forged lasting friendships while beginning his ascent toward greatness. Now, as the iconic boxer slowed by Parkinson's disease prepares to turn 70 next week, he's coming home for a birthday bash at the downtown cultural center and museum that bears his name. (H.B. Littel, AP) (credit:H.B. Littel, AP)
Muhammad Ali Through The Years(11 of14)
Heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali with his daughters Laila (9 months) and Hanna (2 years 5 months) at Grosvenor House, Dec. 19 1978. (Frank Tewkesbury, Evening Standard / Getty Images) (credit:Frank Tewkesbury, Evening Standard / Getty Images)
Muhammad Ali Through The Years(12 of14)
In this Jan. 17, 1967 file photo, Muhammad Ali blows out the candles on a cake baked for his 25th birthday, in Houston. Ali's wife says the boxing great is still a "big kid" who enjoys his birthday parties. The three-time heavyweight champion turns 70 Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2012. He will be surrounded by friends Saturday night for a birthday party at the Muhammad Ali Center in his hometown. (Ed Kolenovsky, AP) (credit:AP)
Muhammad Ali Through The Years(13 of14)
Muhammad Ali lights the first Olympic torch for the Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Winter Games at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, Dec. 4, 2001. The Olympic flame arrived in the US for the first time in six years, kicking off the Olympic Torch Relay, the ceremonial passing of the Olympic flame, throughout the United States. (Curtis Compton, AFP / Getty Images) (credit:Curtis Compton, AFP / Getty Images)
Muhammad Ali Through The Years(14 of14)
Laila Ali poses with her father, Muhammad Ali, after her 10 round WBC/WIBA Super Middleweight title bout with Erin Toughill at the MCI Center in Washington, DC. Ali won the fight via 3rd round TKO. (Ed Mulholland, WireImage) (credit:Ed Mulholland, WireImage)
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