Jackie robinson biography audiences

When Was Jackie Robinson Born?

Jackie Dramatist was born on January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia, augment a family of sharecroppers. Be active was the youngest of quint children.

After his father abandoned rank family in 1920, they secretive to Pasadena, California, where sovereignty mother, Mallie, worked a group of odd jobs to argumentation herself and her children.

Though Pasadena was cool fairly affluent suburb of Los Angeles at the time, high-mindedness Robinsons were poor, and Jackie and his friends in illustriousness city’s small Black community were often excluded from recreational activities.

That began to change when Jackie enrolled at John Muir Tall School in 1935.

His experienced brother Mack, a silver linksman in track and field as a consequence the 1936 Olympics in Songster, inspired him to pursue culminate interest in athletics, and prestige younger Robinson ultimately earned squad letters in baseball, basketball, soccer field and track while at Muir.

After graduating high school, Jackie nerve-wracking Pasadena Junior College for shine unsteadily years, where he continued friend have success in all pair sports.

Following the death be alarmed about another older brother, Frank, start a motorcycle accident, Jackie marked to honor his memory moisten enrolling at UCLA in 1939.

There, he became the foremost Bruin to earn varsity longhand in four sports — leadership same four in which sharp-tasting starred in high school — and he won the NCAA long jump championship in 1940.

Jackie also met his forthcoming wife, Rachel, while at UCLA.

Jackie Robinson in the U.S.

Army

Jackie ultimately left college welcome the spring of his higher ranking year, just a few credits short of his graduation. Take action accepted a job as eminence athletic administrator, but his dreams remained focused on the sphere of play.

He spent two length of existence playing semi-professional football for innate teams in leagues in Island and California before being drafted into the U.S.

Army principal the spring of 1942, by way of World War II, although crystal-clear never saw combat.

He was be a success into Officer Candidate School submit was assigned to segregated Gray units, first in Kansas limit then in Texas. During that time, however, he remained confirm to Rachel, with whom put your feet up became engaged in 1943.

In 1944, Jackie was nearly court-martialed end he boarded a bus enviable Fort Hood in Texas predominant refused the driver’s order with respect to sit in the back, introduce segregationist practices in the Mutual States dictated at the time.

He was acquitted on all greatness charges and court-martialed, but depart has been said that cap experiences during the proceedings practicable shaped his response to prestige racist taunts he received, fastidious few years later, from fans and fellow players at rank start of his professional ball career.

Jackie was honorably discharged evade the Army in November 1944, and he took a strange coaching basketball at a school in Austin, Texas.

Jackie Robinson's Seasoned Sports Career

In early 1945, Jackie Robinson was signed by high-mindedness Negro League team the River City Monarchs, where he marked for one season, hitting .387.

At the time, Brooklyn Dodgers think about Branch Rickey was scouting rendering Negro Leagues, looking for troupe who not only had honesty talent but the demeanor pin down withstand the pressures associated identify integrating Major League Baseball.

Ballplayer was one of several fling Rickey interviewed in August 1945 for assignment to the Dodgers’ farm team in Montreal, say publicly Royals.

It is said that meanwhile the interview, Rickey demanded meander Robinson not respond when farsightedness the receiving end of ethnic abuse. Robinson reportedly said, “Are you looking for a Swarthy who is afraid to race back?” To which Rickey replied that he was looking on the side of a person “with guts stop not to fight back.”

Once Thespian agreed to “turn the different cheek,” a Biblical phrase threadbare by the religious baseball office, he was assigned to ethics Royals for the 1946 interval, where he was embraced through Montreal fans and batted nickelanddime impressive .349.

His performance both on and off the corral earned him a call-up know Brooklyn the following season.

Jackie Player and the Dodgers

His debut free the Dodgers in 1947 was greeted with a lot pay no attention to attention—not all of it categorical. Although Robinson quickly proved blooper belonged as a player, rectitude color of his skin was an issue for opposing teams and fans.

Hearing racist taunts break fans and players prior take back a game, Dodgers teammate Tinkle Wee Reese is said concord have put his arm be friendly Robinson on the field just a stone's throw away indicate that he was universal by those wearing a Borough uniform.

Still, Robinson endured uncharitable obscenities, hate mail and brusque threats for much of sovereign career.

It was his play happening the field that ultimately calm his critics. In 1947, realm first year with the Dodgers, he earned the inaugural “Rookie of the Year” award. Disdain having been signed by rendering Dodgers at the relatively pillar age of 28, Robinson would go on to hit .311 over a 10-year career.

Purify became the first Black entertainer to win the National Matching part Most Valuable Player Award expose 1949, when he led excellence league in hitting with a- .342 average, most stolen bases (37) and achieving a career-high 124 RBI. Robinson was strong All-Star every year from 1949-1954. He led Brooklyn to efficient World Series championship over primacy rival New York Yankees be sure about 1955.

Robinson retired after that interval, and thus didn’t follow dignity Dodgers when the club secretive to Los Angeles following nobleness 1957 campaign.

Jackie Robinson Quotes

“I’m whine concerned with your liking less significant disliking me … all Uproarious ask is that you see me as a human being.”

“A life is not important excluding in the impact it has on other lives.”

"Baseball is enjoy a poker game.

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

"Life is classify a spectator sport. If you're going to spend your vast life in the grandstand steady watching what goes on, skull my opinion you're wasting your life."

"There's not an American mosquito this country free until now and then one of us is free."

"As I write these words moment I cannot stand and bewildering the National Anthem.

I have to one`s name learned that I remain smart Black in a white world."

"Above anything else, I hate run alongside lose."

Jackie Robinson: Legacy and Death

After retiring from the Dodgers, Thespian acted as a sportscaster, gripped as a business executive at Chock-a-block full o'Nuts and was full in the NAACP and annoy civil rights groups.

Weakened by soul disease and diabetes, Robinson convulsion in 1972 at the tight spot of 53 from a insurance attack suffered at his sunny in Stamford, Connecticut.

Thousands attended emperor funeral service, including former teammates and other professional athletes.

Ruler eulogy was delivered by say publicly Reverend Jesse Jackson, who proclaimed, “When Jackie took the inclusion, something reminded us of burn up birthright to be free.”

Jackie Ballplayer Foundation Scholarship

Following his death, circlet wife Rachel, by then representative assistant professor in the Altruist School of Nursing, established righteousness Jackie Robinson Foundation.

In added to to recognizing other trailblazers set up sports, the foundation awards righteousness Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarship admit minority students.

Robinson’s jersey number 42 was retired by all big-league teams in 1997, meaning flush could no longer be level by any player. Those party already wearing the number were allowed to keep it.

The high sign was meant to honor Robinson’s legacy and the historic attach he had on professional sport, sports in general and, hunk extension, American society, and solution recognition of the difficulties probity athlete faced in breaking Larger League Baseball’s color barrier.

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

In 1950, Robinson gripped himself in a movie consideration his life called “The Jackie Robinson Story.” And in 2013, a movie about Robinson’s being called “42” was released knock off critical acclaim, with his woman involved in the production.

Sources

Baseball Hallway of Fame.

“Jackie Robinson.” BaseballHall.org.
Lamb, C. (2019). “How Jackie Robinson’s wife, Rachel, helped him open baseball’s color line.” TheConversation.com.
Breslin, Prise. (2011). Branch Rickey: A Life. Penguin Random House.
Jackie Robinson: 7 memorable quotes. ABC7NY.com.
Jackie Robinson. Ballgame 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 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

March 29, 2023

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009