February 25
Subject to Britannica's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
Featured Event
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Muhammad Ali becomes the world heavyweight champion
On this day in 1964, Muhammad Ali (known at the time as Cassius Clay) defeated reigning world champion Sonny Liston in the boxing ring. Just 22 years old, Clay heckled Liston ceaselessly before their fight, essentially goading him into the ring. Liston was older, far more experienced, and widely considered unbeatable—but after six rounds, he conceded to Clay. Two days after the legendary upset, Clay changed his name to Muhammad Ali. In 1965 the pair faced each other again; this time, Ali knocked Liston out in just over two minutes. [Read today’s edition of Today in History > >]
Featured Biography
Featured Biography
© PHOTOS.com/Getty Images
Why shouldn’t art be pretty? There are enough unpleasant things in the world.
French painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir, born this day in 1841, was initially associated with Impressionism, but in the 1880s his early works of sparkling color and light gave way to a more disciplined, formal technique.
Famous Birthdays
More on February 25
Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
2001
Cricketer Don Bradman, one of the greatest run scorers in the history of the game and often judged the greatest player of the 20th century, died at the age of 92. His Test batting average remains unsurpassed. [Test your knowledge of cricket.]
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
1990
In Nicaragua, Violeta Barrios de Chamorro of the U.S.-financed National Opposition Union achieved an upset victory over the incumbent president, Daniel Ortega of the Sandinista National Liberation Front. [Sort fact from fiction in our Latin America quiz.]
© Gerald B. Johnson/U.S. Department of Defense
1986
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, under pressure from the United States, fled the country for Hawaii after a fraudulent electoral victory over Corazon Aquino, who replaced him as president.
© Keystone/Getty Images
1956
The Twentieth Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union came to a close after First Secretary Nikita S. Khrushchev delivered a secret speech denouncing the late Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. [Take our Russian history quiz.]
Hulton Archive/Getty Images
1943
British musician George Harrison—lead guitarist of the Beatles, one of the most influential bands in the history of rock and roll—was born. [Did the Beatles really say they were more popular than Jesus?.]
AP/REX/Shutterstock.com
1917
Anthony Burgess—whose fictional explorations of modern dilemmas combine wit, moral earnestness, and a note of the bizarre—was born. [Test your knowledge of famous authors.]
NARA
1913
The Sixteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which permitted a federal income tax, went into effect. [Explore Britannica’s list of the taxes we pay.]
Brady-Handy photograph collection/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-DIG-cwpbh-00554)
1870
Hiram Rhodes Revels was sworn in to the U.S. Senate, becoming the first African American to serve in Congress. [Watch this video about the first African American senator]
Photos.com/Thinkstock
1570
As pope, Pius V excommunicated Queen Elizabeth I of England from the Roman Catholic Church, accusing her of heresy. The pope’s plot—to lessen Elizabeth I’s popularity—was ultimately unsuccessful, as many English Catholics repledged their loyalty to the queen, fearing accusations of treason. [Learn how Elizabeth I became queen in this video.]