On April 15, 1947, 28-year-old Jackie Robinson became the first African-American player in Major League Baseball when he entered Ebbets Field in Brooklyn to compete for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Robinson broke the color barrier in a sport that had been separated for over 50 years. Exactly 50 years later, on April 15, 1997, Robinson’s groundbreaking career was honored and his uniform number, 42, was removed from Major League Baseball by Commissioner Bud Selig in a ceremony attended by over 50,000 fans at Shea Stadium in New York City. Robinson was the very first number withdrawn by all teams in the league.
READ MORE: Jackie Robinson’s battles for equality on and off the baseball field
Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia, to a family of sharecroppers. Growing up, he excelled in sports and attended the University of California, Los Angeles, where he was the first athlete to write in four college sports: baseball, basketball, soccer, and track and field. After financial difficulties forced Robinson to abandon UCLA, he joined the military in 1942 and was appointed a second lieutenant. After protesting against cases of racial discrimination during his military service, Robinson was court martialed in 1944. Ultimately, however, he was honorably released.
After the army, Robinson played for a season in the Negro American League. In 1946, he spent a season with the Canadian minor league team, the Montreal Royals. In 1947, Robinson was called up to the Majors and quickly became a star infielder and outfielder for the Dodgers, as well as the National League Rookie of the Year. In 1949, the right-hander was named National League MVP and league batting champion. Robinson played on the National League All-Star Team from 1949 to 1954 and led the Dodgers to six National League pennants and a World Series in 1955. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962 , his first year of eligibility.
READ MORE: 11 Things You May Not Know About Jackie Robinson
Despite his talent and success as a player, Robinson has faced enormous racial discrimination throughout his career, from baseball fans and some other players. Additionally, Jim Crow laws prevented Robinson from using the same hotels and restaurants as his teammates while playing in the South.
After retiring from baseball in 1957, Robinson became a businessman and civil rights activist. He died on October 24, 1972, at age 53, in Stamford, Connecticut.
