TODAY IN HISTORY: Fatal Plane Crash Kills 153 Passengers In Lagos - Boxing Legend, Muhammad Ali Dies

Fatal Plane Crash Kills 153 Passengers In Lagos

June 3, 2012, was a Black Sunday for many Nigerians after a fatal plane crash occurred in Lagos State. On that day, a Dana Air flight bound for Lagos from Abuja crashed into a two-storey building in Ishaga, on the outskirts of Lagos, killing all 153 passengers on board.

The aircraft, identified by its registration number 5N-RAM, vanished from the Lagos Air Traffic Control radar after communication with the pilot failed. Shortly afterward, it crashed into a residential building on Tolulope Street in the Toyin area of Ishaga.

Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, the General Manager of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), disclosed that the aircraft struck a power line before crashing into the building, which housed six flats. The impact caused the aircraft to explode, destroying the building. Emergency rescue agencies and their official later arrived at the scene to help evacuate the corpses and identify the details of the victims.

Boxing Legend, Muhammad Ali Dies

Also on this day in 2016, boxing legend Muhammad Ali died at the age of 74 after a more than 30-year battle with Parkinson's disease. A family spokesman stated that Ali's cause of death was "septic shock due to unspecified natural causes."

Born Cassius Clay, Ali first gained global attention in 1964 when he defeated the heavily favored Sonny Liston to win his first world heavyweight title. After the fight, having joined Islam, he changed his name to Muhammad Ali-a name celebrated worldwide.

Image credit: ABC

The former world heavyweight champion was hospitalized in Phoenix, Arizona, where he was dealing with respiratory issues worsened by Parkinson's disease. Doctors believe Ali's Parkinson's was likely caused by the thousands of punches he endured during his boxing career.

Ali, known for his charisma and controversial stance on many issues, dominated professional boxing making Sports Illustrated to name him Sportsman of the 20th Century. Renowned for his confident boasting, passion, and eloquence, he famously declared that he could "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee."

Image credit: Al Jazeera

In addition to his great boxing career, Ali was a family man, marrying four times and fathering nine children. To many people across the globe, Ali would be remembered as the Greatest Boxer to grace the ring.