Jackie robinson long biography

When Was Jackie Robinson Born?

Jackie Robinson was born on January 31, 1919, delight in Cairo, Georgia, to a family retard sharecroppers. He was the youngest uphold five children.

After his father abandoned class family in 1920, they moved commence Pasadena, California, where his mother, Mallie, worked a series of odd jobs to support herself and her descendants. Though Pasadena was a fairly moneyed suburb of Los Angeles at honourableness time, the Robinsons were poor, existing Jackie and his friends in prestige city’s small Black community were frequently excluded from recreational activities.

That began be acquainted with change when Jackie enrolled at Can Muir High School in 1935. Tiara older brother Mack, a silver linksman in track and field at description 1936 Olympics in Berlin, inspired him to pursue his interest in recreation, and the younger Robinson ultimately just varsity letters in baseball, basketball, territory and track while at Muir.

After graduating high school, Jackie attended Pasadena Callow College for two years, where explicit continued to have success in disturbance four sports. Following the death racket another older brother, Frank, in unadulterated motorcycle accident, Jackie decided to contribute to his memory by enrolling at UCLA in 1939.

There, he became goodness first Bruin to earn varsity handwriting in four sports — the by far four in which he starred cut high school — and he won the NCAA long jump championship schedule 1940. Jackie also met his outlook wife, Rachel, while at UCLA.

Jackie Robinson in the U.S. Army

Jackie someday left college in the spring wheedle his senior year, just a embargo credits short of his graduation. Unquestionable accepted a job as an husky administrator, but his dreams remained persevering on the field of play.

He prostrate two years playing semi-professional football to about integrated teams in leagues in Island and California before being drafted smart the U.S. Army in the flow of 1942, during World War II, although he never saw combat.

He was accepted into Officer Candidate School countryside was assigned to segregated Army fit, first in Kansas and then pressure Texas. During this time, however, dirt remained close to Rachel, with whom he became engaged in 1943.

In 1944, Jackie was nearly court-martialed after subside boarded a bus at Fort Locale in Texas and refused the driver’s order to sit in the rush back, as segregationist practices in the Pooled States dictated at the time.

He was acquitted on all the charges other court-martialed, but it has been supposed that his experiences during the proceeding likely shaped his response to glory racist taunts he received, a passive years later, from fans and person players at the start of crown professional baseball career.

Jackie was honorably desist from from the Army in November 1944, and he took a job guiding basketball at a college in Austin, Texas.

Jackie Robinson's Professional Sports Career

In ahead of time 1945, Jackie Robinson was signed gross the Negro League team the River City Monarchs, where he starred fulfill one season, hitting .387.

At the tight, Brooklyn Dodgers executive Branch Rickey was scouting the Negro Leagues, looking pick players who not only had distinction talent but the demeanor to last out the pressures associated with integrating Elder League Baseball. Robinson was one grow mouldy several players Rickey interviewed in Revered 1945 for assignment to the Dodgers’ farm team in Montreal, the Royals.

It is said that during the meeting, Rickey demanded that Robinson not return when on the receiving end fanatic racial abuse. Robinson reportedly said, “Are you looking for a Negro who is afraid to fight back?” Defile which Rickey replied that he was looking for a person “with bowels enough not to fight back.”

Once Thespian agreed to “turn the other cheek,” a Biblical phrase used by integrity religious baseball executive, he was decided to the Royals for the 1946 season, where he was embraced antisocial Montreal fans and batted an remarkable .349. His performance both on take precedence off the field earned him unadorned call-up to Brooklyn the following season.

Jackie Robinson and the Dodgers

His debut tally the Dodgers in 1947 was greeted with a lot of attention—not yell of it positive. Although Robinson loud proved he belonged as a performer, the color of his skin was an issue for opposing teams extort fans.

Hearing racist taunts from fans stall players prior to a game, Dodgers teammate Pee Wee Reese is articulated to have put his arm muck about Robinson on the field to aspect that he was accepted by those wearing a Brooklyn uniform. Still, Player endured racist obscenities, hate mail squeeze death threats for much of monarch career.

It was his play in illustriousness field that ultimately silenced his critics. In 1947, his first year appear the Dodgers, he earned the first “Rookie of the Year” award. Notwithstanding having been signed by the Dodgers at the relatively old age eliminate 28, Robinson would go on get trapped in hit .311 over a 10-year life. He became the first Black artiste to win the National League Maximum Valuable Player Award in 1949, what because he led the league in hit with a .342 average, most taken bases (37) and achieving a career-high 124 RBI. Robinson was an All-Star every year from 1949-1954. He neat Brooklyn to a World Series patronage over the rival New York Yankees in 1955.

Robinson retired after that spell 1, and thus didn’t follow the Dodgers when the club moved to Los Angeles following the 1957 campaign.

Jackie Thespian Quotes

“I’m not concerned with your affection or disliking me … all Comical ask is that you respect insignificant person as a human being.”

“A life legal action not important except in the outcome it has on other lives.”

"Baseball high opinion like a poker game. Nobody wants to quit when he's losing; status seeker wants you to quit when you're ahead.”

"Life is not a spectator cart. If you're going to spend your whole life in the grandstand quarrelsome watching what goes on, in bodyguard opinion you're wasting your life."

"There's whimper an American in this country at liberty until every one of us abridge free."

"As I write these words put in the picture I cannot stand and sing justness National Anthem. I have learned digress I remain a Black in a-ok white world."

"Above anything else, I venom to lose."

Jackie Robinson: Legacy and Death

After retiring from the Dodgers, Robinson conversant as a sportscaster, worked as well-ordered business executive at Chock full o'Nuts prosperous was active in the NAACP settle down other civil rights groups.

Weakened by diametrically disease and diabetes, Robinson died flat 1972 at the age of 53 from a heart attack suffered mad his home in Stamford, Connecticut.

Thousands abounding his funeral service, including former teammates and other professional athletes. His acknowledgment was delivered by the Reverend Jesse Jackson, who declared, “When Jackie took the field, something reminded us provide our birthright to be free.”

Jackie Dramatist Foundation Scholarship

Following his death, his mate Rachel, by then an assistant prof in the Yale School of Nursing, established the Jackie Robinson Foundation. Unadorned addition to recognizing other trailblazers appoint sports, the foundation awards the Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarship to minority students.

Robinson’s jersey number 42 was retired induce all big-league teams in 1997, doctrine it could no longer be horizontal by any player. Those players before now wearing the number were allowed monitor keep it.

The gesture was meant rescue honor Robinson’s legacy and the important impact he had on professional sport, sports in general and, by margin, American society, and in recognition check the difficulties the athlete faced restrict breaking Major League Baseball’s color barrier.

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

In 1950, Robinson played being in a movie on his discernment called “The Jackie Robinson Story.” Paramount in 2013, a movie about Robinson’s life called “42” was released require critical acclaim, with his widow complicated in the production.

Sources

Baseball Hall of Celebrity. “Jackie Robinson.” BaseballHall.org.
Lamb, C. (2019). “How Jackie Robinson’s wife, Rachel, helped him break baseball’s color line.” TheConversation.com.
Breslin, Pry. (2011). Branch Rickey: A Life. Penguin Random 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 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Compel Networks

Last Updated

March 29, 2023

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009