jackierobinson

Jackie Robinson was born on January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia. He was the youngest of five children and raised by a single mother. He attended John Muir High School and Pasadena Junior College, where he was an excellent athlete and played four sports: football, basketball, track, and baseball. He was named the region's Most Valuable Player in baseball in 1938.
 * Jackie Robinson **

Jackie continued his education at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he became the university's first student to win varsity letters in four sports. In 1941, Robinson had to leave UCLA right before graduation because of money problems. He moved to Honolulu, Hawaii, where he played football for the semi-professional Honolulu Bears. His season with the Bears was cut short when the United States entered into World War II.

From 1942 to 1944, Robinson served in the United States Army. After that, he played baseball professionally. At the time, the sport was segregated, and blacks and whites played in separate leagues. Robinson began playing in the Negro Leagues, but he was soon chosen by the all-white Montreal Royals in 1945. He moved to Florida in 1946 to begin spring training with the Royals, and played his first game on March 17 of that same year.

It was difficult at times being the only African-American on his team. People in the crowds sometimes jeered at Robinson, and he and his family received threats. Even so, he had an outstanding start with the Royals, and his excellent year led to his promotion to the Brooklyn Dodgers. His debut game on April 15, 1947, marked the first time an African-American athlete played in the major leagues.

In his first year, he hit 12 home runs and helped the Dodgers win the National League pennant. That year, Robinson led the National League in stolen bases and was selected as Rookie of the Year. He led in stolen bases that year and earned the National League's Most Valuable Player Award. Robinson soon became a hero of the sport, and he stole home 19 times in his career, setting a league record. He also became the highest-paid athlete in Dodgers history.

In his decade-long career with the Dodgers, Robinson and his team won the National League pennant several times. Finally, in 1955, he helped them achieve the ultimate victory: the World Series. After failing before in four other series match-ups, the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees. He helped the team win one more National League pennant the following season, and was then traded to the New York Giants. Jackie Robinson retired shortly after the trade, on January 5, 1957.

Jackie Robinson was the first African-American to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. In 1972, the Dodgers retired his uniform number of 42. He died from heart problems and diabetes complications on October 24, 1972, in Stamford, Connecticut.