Last Friday's death of Muhammad Ali - a former heavyweight champion known for political activism and brash self-promotion (“I am the greatest”), as well as for boxing brilliance - brings a worldwide outpouring of affection and admiration for one of the 20th century's best-known figures. Ali, no longer a graceful athlete, was 74 when he died in a Phoenix hospital. He had Parkinson's disease, which affects movement and speech, for more than 30 years.

Atop its website, The New York Times called him a "Titan of Boxing and the 20th Century" – sweeping praise that fits. "He was more than the sum of his athletic gifts,” the paper says of the three-time heavyweight title winner. “An agile mind, a buoyant personality, a brash self-confidence and an evolving set of personal convictions fostered a magnetism that the ring alone could not contain. He entertained as much with his mouth as with his fists. . . . He remained for 50 years one of the most recognizable people on the planet."

Ali spoke out against racism, war and religious intolerance, while projecting confidence that helped inspire African-Americans during an era of protests for civil rights and in later years. He changed his name from Cassius Clay in 1964 after converting to the Islamic religion. Ali was "a man who fought for us," says President Obama, who ranks him alongside civil rights icons Martin Luther King Jr and Nelson Mandela. Stripped of his world boxing crown for refusing to join the U.S. Army and fight in Vietnam, Ali returned in triumph by recapturing the title in 1974. A public memorial service Friday will be in his hometown of Louisville, Ky., with eulogies (tribute speeches) by former President Bill Clinton, sports journalist Bryant Gumbel and actor Billy Crystal.

President Obama says: "Ali stood his ground. And his victory [to regain his boxing title] helped us get used to the America we recognize today." – Statement last Saturday

Sportswriter says: "Ali never sacrificed his sense of right and wrong. That's his legacy. Not his poetry. Not winning . . . the world heavyweight championship a third time." – Drew Sharp, Detroit Free Press columnist

British leader says: "Muhammad Ali was not just a champion in the ring — he was a champion of civil rights and a role model for so many people." – David Cameron, prime minister