On 30 October 1974, in Kinshasa in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), the 32-year-old Muhammad Ali, a former champion who had been stripped of his title for refusing the draft to Vietnam, fought the undefeated world heavyweight champion George Foreman at 4 in the morning to suit American television. Promoted by Don King and funded by Zaire's president Mobutu, it drew a global audience. Ali used a strategy he called the 'rope-a-dope', leaning on the ropes and letting Foreman punch himself out, then knocked him out in the eighth round. It is among the most celebrated fights in boxing history.
Before and after
- 6 August 1974Establishment of Los Katíos National Park
- 20 August 1974Birth of Amy Adams
- from 12 September 1974 to 4 June 1991Ethiopian Civil War
- 14 September 1974Discovery of Leda
- 30 October 1974The Rumble in the Jungle
- 11 November 1974Birth of Leonardo DiCaprio
- 12 November 1974Registration Convention
- 18 November 1974Founding of International Energy Agency
- 21 November 1974Birmingham pub bombings
More in Society, economy & sport
- 16 November 1945Founding of UNESCO
- 7 April 1948Founding of World Health Organization
- 1950Origins of Formula One
- 1959HIV/AIDS
- 9 September 1999Founding of African Union
- from 15 November 2019 to 5 May 2023COVID-19 pandemic
The era
This moment belongs to the Contemporary world (1945 CE to today), the world since 1945. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.