Boxing Legend Joe Louis Passes Away
On April 12, 1981 – 1981: Former heavyweight champ Joe Louis, who has spent his last four years in a wheelchair, dies of a heart attack at age 66 in Las Vegas.
Louis had been a well-liked champion. When someone called Louis “a credit to his race,” sportswriter Jimmy Cannon responded, “Yes, Louis is a credit to his race — the human race.”
He also was a credit to boxing. His championship reign, from 1937 until he retired in 1949, is the longest of any title-holder in any division. With his powerful left jab, his destructive two-fisted attack that he released with accuracy at short range, and his capacity for finishing a wounded opponent, Louis defeated all 25 of his challengers, another record.
Louis will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery at the request of President Ronald Reagan.
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