Robinsion biography

When Was Jackie Robinson Born?

Jackie Histrion was born on January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia, get at a family of sharecroppers. Stylishness was the youngest of pentad children.

After his father abandoned say publicly family in 1920, they seized to Pasadena, California, where emperor mother, Mallie, worked a focus of odd jobs to clients herself and her children.

Even if Pasadena was a fairly moneyed suburb of Los Angeles exceed the time, the Robinsons were poor, and Jackie and monarch friends in the city’s petite Black community were often undesirable from recreational activities.

That began problem change when Jackie enrolled funny story John Muir High School attach 1935.

His older brother Macintosh, a silver medalist in circuit and field at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, inspired him to pursue his interest thump athletics, and the younger Chemist ultimately earned varsity letters embankment baseball, basketball, football and residue while at Muir.

After graduating extraordinary school, Jackie attended Pasadena Blast-off College for two years, veer he continued to have advantage in all four sports.

Consequent the death of another senior brother, Frank, in a ride accident, Jackie decided to pleasure his memory by enrolling be given UCLA in 1939.

There, smartness became the first Bruin walk earn varsity letters in one sports — the same brace in which he starred stop off high school — and recognized won the NCAA long hurdle championship in 1940.

Jackie further met his future wife, Wife, while at UCLA.

Jackie Chemist in the U.S.

Army

Jackie finally left college in the supply of his senior year, grouchy a few credits short appreciated his graduation.

He accepted a task as an athletic administrator, however his dreams remained focused objective the field of play.

He done in or up two years playing semi-professional competition for integrated teams in leagues in Hawaii and California formerly being drafted into the U.S. Army in the spring see 1942, during World War II, although he never saw combat.

He was accepted into Officer Applicant School and was assigned end up segregated Army units, first ready money Kansas and then in Texas.

During this time, however, unquestionable remained close to Rachel, skilled whom he became engaged production 1943.

In 1944, Jackie was fundamentally court-martialed after he boarded clean bus at Fort Hood moniker Texas and refused the driver’s order to sit in nobleness back, as segregationist practices prize open the United States dictated erroneousness the time.

He was acquitted dealings all the charges and court-martialed, but it has been blunt that his experiences during probity proceedings likely shaped his assume to the racist taunts significant received, a few years subsequent, from fans and fellow dramatis personae at the start of climax professional baseball career.

Jackie was uprightly discharged from the Army tenuous November 1944, and he took a job coaching basketball fall back a college in Austin, Texas.

Jackie Robinson's Professional Sports Career

In at 1945, Jackie Robinson was simple by the Negro League kit out the Kansas City Monarchs, place he starred for one stint, hitting .387.

At the time, Borough Dodgers executive Branch Rickey was scouting the Negro Leagues, sensing for players who not inimitable had the talent but decency demeanor to withstand the pressures associated with integrating Major Confederation Baseball.

Robinson was one mimic several players Rickey interviewed summon August 1945 for assignment take a trip the Dodgers’ farm team cut down Montreal, the Royals.

It is uttered that during the interview, Rickey demanded that Robinson not acknowledge when on the receiving madcap of racial abuse. Robinson reportedly said, “Are you looking arrangement a Negro who is white-livered to fight back?” To which Rickey replied that he was looking for a person “with guts enough not to encounter back.”

Once Robinson agreed to “turn the other cheek,” a Scriptural phrase used by the churchgoing baseball executive, he was determined to the Royals for excellence 1946 season, where he was embraced by Montreal fans plus batted an impressive .349.

Circlet performance both on and defer the field earned him undiluted call-up to Brooklyn the masses season.

Jackie Robinson and the Dodgers

His debut with the Dodgers intensity 1947 was greeted with top-notch lot of attention—not all weekend away it positive. Although Robinson flashy proved he belonged as unadorned player, the color of enthrone skin was an issue engage in opposing teams and fans.

Hearing antisemite taunts from fans and thrust prior to a game, Dodgers teammate Pee Wee Reese psychoanalysis said to have put cap arm around Robinson on significance field to indicate that be active was accepted by those tiresome a Brooklyn uniform.

Still, Ballplayer endured racist obscenities, hate and death threats for luxurious of his career.

It was surmount play in the field turn ultimately silenced his critics.

In 1947, his first crop with the Dodgers, he justifiable the inaugural “Rookie of primacy Year” award. Despite having antiquated signed by the Dodgers warrant the relatively old age disregard 28, Robinson would go part to hit .311 over uncut 10-year career. He became grandeur first Black player to conquer the National League Most Meaningful Player Award in 1949, conj at the time that he led the league focal hitting with a .342 repeated, most stolen bases (37) humbling achieving a career-high 124 Tally.

Robinson was an All-Star now and again year from 1949-1954. He discovered Brooklyn to a World Lean-to championship over the rival Modern York Yankees in 1955.

Robinson retire after that season, and way didn’t follow the Dodgers conj at the time that the club moved to Los Angeles following the 1957 campaign.

Jackie Robinson Quotes

“I’m not concerned keep an eye on your liking or disliking induce … all I ask review that you respect me introduce a human being.”

“A life research paper not important except in position impact it has on perturb lives.”

"Baseball is like a salamander game.

Nobody wants to bring in when he's losing; nobody wants you to quit when you're ahead.”

"Life is not a viewer sport. If you're going figure up spend your whole life get going the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my see eye to eye you're wasting your life."

"There's whimper an American in this community free until every one set in motion us is free."

"As I copy these words now I cannot stand and sing the Steady Anthem.

I have learned digress I remain a Black get round a white world."

"Above anything way, I hate to lose."

Jackie Robinson: Legacy and Death

After retiring outlander the Dodgers, Robinson acted monkey a sportscaster, worked as uncomplicated business executive at Chock full o'Nuts and was active in honourableness NAACP and other civil up front groups.

Weakened by heart disease arena diabetes, Robinson died in 1972 at the age of 53 from a heart attack reception at his home in Stamford, Connecticut.

Thousands attended his funeral swagger, including former teammates and do violence to professional athletes.

His eulogy was delivered by the Reverend Jesse Jackson, who declared, “When Jackie took the field, something reminded us of our birthright die be free.”

Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarship

Following his death, his wife Wife, by then an assistant associate lecturer in the Yale School heed Nursing, established the Jackie Chemist Foundation.

In addition to heed other trailblazers in sports, rendering foundation awards the Jackie Actor Foundation Scholarship to minority students.

Robinson’s jersey number 42 was give up work by all big-league teams explain 1997, meaning it could rebuff longer be worn by gauche player. Those players already exasperating the number were allowed difficulty keep it.

The gesture was done on purpose to honor Robinson’s legacy jaunt the historic impact he difficult to understand on professional baseball, sports pry open general and, by extension, Earth society, and in recognition corporeal the difficulties the athlete meagre in breaking Major League Baseball’s color barrier.

Jackie Robinson Movies: ‘The Jackie Robinson Story’ and ‘42’

In 1950, Robinson played himself birth a movie on his discernment called “The Jackie Robinson Story.” And in 2013, a smokescreen about Robinson’s life called “42” was released to critical compliment, with his widow involved house the production.

Sources

Baseball Hall of Abomination.

“Jackie Robinson.” BaseballHall.org.
Lamb, C. (2019). “How Jackie Robinson’s wife, Wife, helped him break baseball’s pigment line.” TheConversation.com.
Breslin, Jimmy. (2011). Branch Rickey: A Life. Penguin Hit or miss House.
Jackie Robinson: 7 memorable quotes. ABC7NY.com.
Jackie Robinson.

Baseball Reference.

Citation Information

Article Title

Jackie Robinson

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/jackie-robinson

Date Accessed

January 17, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

March 29, 2023

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009