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Floyd Patterson

Chronology



1935 Born January 4 in Waco, North Carolina, and grows up in poverty
1936 Family moves to Brooklyn, New York
1945 Sent to Wiltwyck School for Boys for stealing
1945-49 Discovers boxing while at Wiltwyck, overcomes some of his shyness and self-esteem problems
1949 Begins association with Cus D'Amato at Gramercy Gym. D'Amato becomes his trainer
1950 Enters and wins first Amateur Athletic Union tournament bout
1951 Meets future wife Sandra Hicks
1952 Wins Golden Gloves Championship at Madison Square Garden as well as the AAU Championship in Boston
1952 Wins gold medal at the Olympics in Helsinki
1952 Turns professional and wins pro debut at age of 17
1956 Marries Sandra Hicks for the first time (would remarry her later that year after his conversion to Catholicism)
1959 Knocked down seven times in three rounds by Ingemar Johansson, Floyd's career appears to be over
1960 Returns to ring and defeats Johannson, knocking the Swede out with vicious left hook
1965 Loses to Muhammad Ali in a twelve round bid to retain the heavyweight championship
1968 Leaves the ring for two years after losing to WBA Champion Jimmy Ellis
1972 Fights Muhammad Ali in what would be his last professional fight
1972 Announces his retirement
1976 Takes an interest in 11-year old boxer named Tracy Harris, whom he'd eventually adopt
1994 Informed by Harris that he no longer wants Patterson to manage him
1995 Named athletic commissioner of the State of New York by Governor George Pataki
1998 Steps down from athletic commission, citing memory loss as reason for no longer being able to fulfill duties
1998 Moves permanently to his 17-acre farm in New Paltz, NY

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Famous Sports StarsBoxingFloyd Patterson Biography - Growing Up, A Needed Change, Back In The City, After The Gold, Chronology - CONTACT INFORMATION, SELECTED WRITINGS BY PATTERSON: