On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier when he made his historic MLB debut.
That’s why every year Major League Baseball celebrates April 15 to honor Robinson’s legacy by celebrating his life, values and accomplishments.
The extensive and unified league-wide show of support included that since 1997 Robinson’s number 42 has been retired on all MLB teams.
Since 2004 all players and all on-field personnel have worn Robinson’s number during scheduled games, and Jackie Robinson Day has been in place since 2009.
Who was Jackie Robinson?
Born in 1919 in Cairo, Georgia, Robinson was an example of the struggle for equal rights for black people and against racism in the United States.
Jackie suffered first-hand from racial discrimination, but found in sports the way to get ahead and was an example of the situation in the United States.
During his college life at UCLA, Robinson played athletics, basketball and football.
Jackie Robinson’s impact on sports
After returning from World War II, he made his Major League debut on April 15, 1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers, was named Rookie of the Year, and is one of the top players in history for the team that now plays in Los Angeles.
Five days earlier, on April 10, 1947, Robinson signed his contract with the Dodgers by decision of then team owner Branch Rickey.
After spending one season with the Montreal Royals, then a Dodgers affiliate, Rickey made the decision to give Jack Roosevelt Robinson a one-year contract.
Robinson made his debut with the Dodgers to break the color barrier in the Majors to begin his MLB integration.
Robinson’s influence in sports carried over into society in that fight against racism, becoming an icon as an athlete and also as a person off the diamond.
Robinson died in 1972 due to diabetes, which caused him vision problems during the last years of his life.
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