Jack Roosevelt Robinson
- Born:
- January 31, 1919, Cairo, Georgia, USA
- Died:
- October 24, 1972, Stamford, Connecticut, USA
- Nationality:
- American
- Profession(s):
- Baseball Player, Civil Rights Activist, Businessman
Early Life and Education
- Born to sharecropper parents, Jerry and Mallie Robinson.
- The youngest of five children.
- The challenges related to the 'biography jackie robinson childhood life' were numerous for the family following his father's abandonment in 1920.
- Moved to Pasadena, California in 1920.
- Attended John Muir High School and Pasadena Junior College, excelling in multiple sports: baseball, football, basketball, and track.
- Attended UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles), where he was the university's first athlete to letter in four sports.
- Left UCLA in 1941, a few credits short of graduation, due to financial constraints.
Career and Major Achievements
- Served in the United States Army during World War II (1942-1945), achieving the rank of second lieutenant.
- Played for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues in 1945.
- Signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers organization in 1945, breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball.
- Played for the Montreal Royals (Dodgers' farm team) in 1946.
- Made his Major League debut for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947.
- Won the MLB Rookie of the Year Award in 1947.
- Won the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1949.
- Played in six World Series with the Brooklyn Dodgers (winning in 1955).
- Named to six All-Star teams.
- Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.
Notable Works
- Authored the autobiographies Jackie Robinson: My Own Story (1948) and I Never Had It Made (1972).
Legacy and Impact
Jackie Robinson's courageous breaking of the color barrier in baseball had a profound impact on American society, paving the way for increased racial integration and becoming an enduring symbol of the Civil Rights Movement. He remains a role model for athletes and activists alike.