Jackie Robinson

Jackie Robinson was a Hall of Fame baseball player who played for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was renown for his courage and strength in breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball.

Fast Facts:

1. First African-American to play in Major League Baseball
2. Born: January 31, 1919
3. 1962: Hall of Fame
4. Number 42 retired on most MLB teams in his honor
5. Stole home 19 times

Early Years

Jackie Robinson was born in Cairo Georgia on January 31, 1919. He attended John Muir High School, then Pasadena Junior College and eventually the University of California, Los Angeles. While at U.C.L.A. he lettered in 4 different sports, Track, football, basketball and baseball then left U.C.L.A. for financial reasons. He served in the United States Army from 1942 to 1944 he would be honorably discharged after he was acquitted of insubordination charges for refusing to move to the back a a segregated bus. He joined the Negro League Baseball teams in 1945, playing shortstop. After being discovered by Branch Rickey, he was invited by the owner to join the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Breaking the Color Barrier

On April 15, 1947 Robinson played the first game by an African American in Major League Baseball. In the years following he would endure abuse from fans as well as players. But he managed to still win several honors throughout his career such as the National League Rookie of the Year, Six All-Star Selections and the National League Most Valuable Player award. He would retire after the 1956 season, after the Dodgers traded him to the San Francisco Giants. He would be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.

Post Baseball

Robinson would continue to speak out against racism and became a civil rights activist serving on the board of the NAACP until 1967. He would pass away due to diabetes and heart disease on October 24, 1972. He is buried in Cypress Hills Cemetery in Brooklyn New York. In March 1984, President Ronald Reagan awarded Robinson with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, then on April 15, 1997 Major League Baseball retired the Number 42 on all teams. On October 23, 2003 the United States Congress awarded Robinson posthumously with the Congressional Gold Medal.

Jackie Robinson Timeline

• January 31, 1919: Born
• 1947: Rookie of the Year
• 1949: Most Valuable Player
• 1949-1954: All-Star
• 1955: World Series Champion
• 1957: Retired from Baseball
• 1962: Inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame
• 1972: Jackie Robinson Passes away
• 1984: Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom
• 1997: Robinson's #42 is retired on almost all Major League Baseball teams
• 2003: Awarded Congressional Gold Medal of Honor

Categories