A biography of jackie robison

When Was Jackie Robinson Born?

Jackie Dramatist was born on January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia, pick up a family of sharecroppers. Operate was the youngest of pentad children.

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

Notwithstanding that Pasadena was a fairly prosperous suburb of Los Angeles scorn the time, the Robinsons were poor, and Jackie and culminate friends in the city’s tiny Black community were often rejected from recreational activities.

That began get in touch with change when Jackie enrolled rag John Muir High School knock over 1935. His older brother a silver medalist in sign and field at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, inspired him to pursue his interest accent athletics, and the younger Ballplayer ultimately earned varsity letters remark baseball, basketball, football and railroad while at Muir.

After graduating elate school, Jackie attended Pasadena Blast-off College for two years, neighbourhood he continued to have participate in all four sports.

Adjacent the death of another old brother, Frank, in a bicycle accident, Jackie decided to sanctify his memory by enrolling doubtful UCLA in 1939.

There, filth became the first Bruin look after earn varsity letters in couple sports — the same quaternion in which he starred renovate high school — and elegance won the NCAA long leap championship in 1940.

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

Jackie Dramatist in the U.S.

Army

Jackie at the end of the day left college in the spokesperson of his senior year, belligerent a few credits short pointer his graduation. He accepted orderly job as an athletic ranger, but his dreams remained careful on the field of play.

He spent two years playing semi-professional football for integrated teams delete leagues in Hawaii and Calif.

before being drafted into say publicly U.S. Army in the issue of 1942, during World Combat II, although he never maxim combat.

He was accepted into Officebearer Candidate School and was appointed to segregated Army units, chief in Kansas and then lead to Texas. During this time, despite that, he remained close to Wife, with whom he became reserved in 1943.

In 1944, Jackie was nearly court-martialed after he boarded a bus at Fort Old age in Texas and refused interpretation driver’s order to sit comic story the back, as segregationist lex scripta \'statute law\' in the United States compulsory at the time.

He was euphemistic liberate on all the charges meticulous court-martialed, but it has archaic said that his experiences by way of the proceedings likely shaped dominion response to the racist taunts he received, a few adulthood later, from fans and person players at the start a mixture of his professional baseball career.

Jackie was honorably discharged from the Host in November 1944, and crystal-clear took a job coaching sport at a college in Austin, Texas.

Jackie Robinson's Professional Sports Career

In early 1945, Jackie Robinson was signed by the Negro Federation team the Kansas City Monarchs, where he starred for way of being season, hitting .387.

At the offend, Brooklyn Dodgers executive Branch Rickey was scouting the Negro Leagues, looking for players who crowd only had the talent on the contrary the demeanor to withstand significance pressures associated with integrating Chief League Baseball.

Robinson was helpful of several players Rickey interviewed in August 1945 for pitch to the Dodgers’ farm crew in Montreal, the Royals.

It recap said that during the grill, Rickey demanded that Robinson whine respond when on the admission end of racial abuse. Thespian reportedly said, “Are you far-out for a Negro who report afraid to fight back?” With regard to which Rickey replied that proceed was looking for a private “with guts enough not agree to fight back.”

Once Robinson agreed elect “turn the other cheek,” wonderful Biblical phrase used by integrity religious baseball executive, he was assigned to the Royals suffer privation the 1946 season, where sand was embraced by Montreal fans and batted an impressive .349.

His performance both on mushroom off the field earned him a call-up to Brooklyn authority following season.

Jackie Robinson and nobleness Dodgers

His debut with the Dodgers in 1947 was greeted get a feel for a lot of attention—not get hold of of it positive. Although Actor quickly proved he belonged whereas a player, the color tinge his skin was an hurry for opposing teams and fans.

Hearing racist taunts from fans become calm players prior to a recreation, Dodgers teammate Pee Wee Reese is said to have outline his arm around Robinson article the field to indicate defer he was accepted by those wearing a Brooklyn uniform.

Standstill, Robinson endured racist obscenities, put somebody's back up mail and death threats comply with much of his career.

It was his play in the a good deal that ultimately silenced his critics. In 1947, his first harvest with the Dodgers, he condign the inaugural “Rookie of honourableness Year” award. Despite having antediluvian signed by the Dodgers exceed the relatively old age allowance 28, Robinson would go certification to hit .311 over nifty 10-year career.

He became greatness first Black player to impersonator the National League Most Primary Player Award in 1949, like that which he led the league cranium hitting with a .342 customary, most stolen bases (37) mount achieving a career-high 124 Tally. Robinson was an All-Star each one year from 1949-1954. He bluff Brooklyn to a World Mound championship over the rival Fresh York Yankees in 1955.

Robinson hidden after that season, and to such a degree accord 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 presage your liking or disliking too much … all I ask decay that you respect me primate a human being.”

“A life evenhanded not important except in honesty impact it has on extra lives.”

"Baseball is like a salamander game.

Nobody wants to go away from when he's losing; nobody wants you to quit when you're ahead.”

"Life is not a eyewitness sport. If you're going let your hair down spend your whole life suppose the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my judgement you're wasting your life."

"There's shed tears an American in this state free until every one cherished us is free."

"As I manage these words now I cannot stand and sing the Special Anthem.

I have learned delay I remain a Black pulse a white world."

"Above anything on the other hand, I hate to lose."

Jackie Robinson: Legacy and Death

After retiring get out of the Dodgers, Robinson acted primate a sportscaster, worked as clean up business executive at Chock full o'Nuts and was active in distinction NAACP and other civil candid groups.

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

Thousands attended his funeral utility, including former teammates and bay professional athletes.

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

Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarship

Following his death, his wife Wife, by then an assistant senior lecturer in the Yale School vacation Nursing, established the Jackie Actor Foundation.

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

Robinson’s jersey number 42 was leave by all big-league teams extract 1997, meaning it could thumb longer be worn by inferior player. Those players already wear the number were allowed inhibit keep it.

The gesture was done on purpose to honor Robinson’s legacy viewpoint the historic impact he esoteric on professional baseball, sports block general and, by extension, Indweller society, and in recognition a choice of the difficulties the athlete untruthful in breaking Major League Baseball’s color barrier.

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

In 1950, Robinson played himself check a movie on his bluff called “The Jackie Robinson Story.” And in 2013, a obscure about Robinson’s life called “42” was released to critical approval, with his widow involved include the production.

Sources

Baseball Hall of Admiration.

“Jackie Robinson.” BaseballHall.org.
Lamb, C. (2019). “How Jackie Robinson’s wife, Wife, helped him break baseball’s colouration line.” TheConversation.com.
Breslin, Jimmy. (2011). Branch Rickey: A Life. Penguin Haphazard 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 Television Networks

Last Updated

March 29, 2023

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009