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Jackie Robinson's Biography
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Jackie Robinson was a Major League Baseball player in the 1940's and 1950's. He was the first African American to play in the major leagues.
Where did Jackie Robinson grow up?
Jackie was born Jack Roosevelt Robinson in Cairo, Georgia on January 31, 1919. Not long after he was born, his family moved to Pasadena, California where he grew up and went to school. His father had left the family, leaving his mother, Mallie Robinson, to raise the kids by herself. As a result Jackie grew up fairly poor and was raised by his mother and older siblings. He had three older brothers and an older sister.
Jackie attended John Muir High School in Pasadena, California. His brothers, Frankie and Mack, got him interested in sports and this also helped to keep him out of trouble. Jackie played sports constantly including football, baseball, basketball, track, and tennis. He was quarterback of the football team and a star player in most any sport he played.
Did Jackie Robinson go to college?
After graduating from Pasadena Junior College, Jackie attended UCLA. He lettered in four sports including basketball, track, football, and baseball. He was the first athlete to do this at UCLA. It turns out he wasn't that good in baseball in college. He only hit 0.97 the one season he played. Jackie ended up leaving school, first to work for the National Youth Administration and later to play professional football.
Jackie's sports career was then interrupted by World War II. He was drafted and went into the army from 1942 to 1944. After the army, Jackie ended up playing baseball in the Negro League for the Kansas City Monarchs. In 1945 Robinson signed a contract to player for the Triple-A Royals for the 1946 season. A year later, Robinson was called up to the majors to play for the Dodgers. On April 15, 1947 Jackie Robinson became the first African American to play in the MLB.
Why was being the first African American MLB player a big deal?
Jackie Robinson playing for the MLB took more courage than you may think. A lot of people didn't want African American players in the league. He had to take tons of abuse and not react. Despite all the controversy and abuse swirling around Jackie, he was able to excel and show strong character. This went a long way in allowing more African American players into the MLB.
But it was more than just baseball. What Jackie did was break the color barrier and give a shining example of what could be accomplished. He gave other African American's the courage to break other barriers. It was part of an important shift in our culture toward equality of all races.
Was Jackie Robinson a good player?
Yes. Jackie Robinson was a great baseball player. He won the first ever MLB Rookie of the Year Award, was named the National Leagues Most Valuable Player in 1949, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He hit .311 over his MLB career, had over 1500 hits, and 137 home runs.
Fun Facts about Jackie Robinson
- His middle name, Roosevelt, was after President Roosevelt who had died just 25 days before Jackie was born.
- Jackie briefly played professional basketball.
- His brother, Mack Robinson, won the Silver Medal in the 1936 Olympics in the 200m sprint. He finished just behind Jesse Owens.
- Jackie became friends with boxing champ Joe Louis during WWII.
- Robinson wore the number 42 which is now retired by all MLB baseball teams. On Jackie Robinson Day every player in the league wears the number 42 in his honor.
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Kid's Poll |
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Which of these cities would you most like to visit on vacation?
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Joke of the Day |
Q: Knock, knock----Who's there?----Nobel----Nobel who?
A: No bell, that's why I knocked!
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Today In History |
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Who was born on this day:
1859 Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Author of Sherlock Holmes novels)
1982 Apollo Anton Ohno (Olympic speed skater)
What happened today in history:
1960 The strongest earthquake ever recorded (9.5) hits Chile.
1967 The first episode of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
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