Jack Roosevelt Robinson
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7
Books
8
Awards
On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson started at first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers, becoming the first African American to play in Major League Baseball in the modern era. He played 10 seasons for the Dodgers, earning six All-Star selections and the 1949 National League MVP award. Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.
Names, aliases, and relatives of Jackie Robinson — birth name, kin, and personal ties.
Jackie Robinson by the numbers — life, work, and family.
Jackie Robinson — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.
Growing up in Pasadena, California after his family moved from Cairo, Georgia, Jack Roosevelt Robinson excelled in multiple sports at John Muir High School and later at Pasadena City College and UCLA. He starred in baseball, basketball, football and track at UCLA, setting a foundation for his athletic career. His older brother, Mack Robinson, was a silver medalist in the 1936 Olympics.
Jackie Robinson made his historic debut for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947, ending 60 years of racial segregation in Major League Baseball. That season he won the inaugural Rookie of the Year award. In 1949, he led the league in batting average .342, stolen bases 37, and sacrifice hits 17, earning the National League Most Valuable Player Award. Over his career he played primarily second base, made six All-Star teams, and helped the Dodgers win the World Series in 1955. After being traded to the New York Giants following the 1956 season, he chose to retire.
Robinson married Rachel Isum on February 10, 1946, and they remained married until his death. They had three children: Sharon, Jackie Jr., and David. During World War II, he served as a lieutenant in the US Army and was court-martialed in 1944 for refusing to move to the back of a bus; he was acquitted and received an honorable discharge. He was an active Republican who supported Richard Nixon in 1960 and 1968, but also backed Nelson Rockefeller in 1964 and Democrat Hubert Humphrey in 1968.
He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on January 23, 1962. In 1997, Major League Baseball retired his uniform number 42 across all teams, a tribute to his enduring impact. He was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2005 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously. Robinson is remembered as the man who broke baseball’s color barrier and inspired generations of athletes.
The complete filmography of Jackie Robinson — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.
Every award, honor, and recognition received by Jackie Robinson — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.
Jackie Robinson's bibliography — every authored, edited, and co-written book, ranked by edition count.
A wall of memorable lines from Jackie Robinson — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.
Baseball Was Just a Part of My Life. Thank God That I Didn’t Allow a Sport or a Business or Any Part of My Life to Dominate Me Completely. I Felt That I Had My Time in Athletics and That Was It.
Civil Rights Is Not by Any Means the Only Issue That Concerns Me Nor, I Think Any Other Negro. as Americans, We Have as Much at Stake in This Country as Anyone Else. but Since Effective Participation in a Democracy Is Based Upon Enjoyment of Basic Freedoms That Everyone Else Takes for Granted, We Need Make No Apologies for Being Especially Interested in Catching up on Civil Rights.
Little-known facts about Jackie Robinson — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.
During World War II, Robinson served as a lieutenant in the US Army and was court-martialed in 1944 after refusing to move to the back of a bus. He was cleared of all charges and received an honorable discharge.
Robinson’s third child, David, lives in Africa where he operates a coffee farm with his wife and children.
At the time of his death, Robinson was virtually blind and facing leg amputations as a result of complications from diabetes.
An active Republican who was fiercely anti-Communist but liberal on many other issues, Robinson supported Nelson Rockefeller for president in 1964. He also supported Democrat Hubert Humphrey in 1968 over Richard Nixon.
He starred in baseball, basketball, football and track at UCLA.
Traded to the New York Giants after the 1956 season, Robinson decided to retire instead of reporting.
A dedicated civil rights activist, Robinson often spoke out against racial injustice.
The 1997 season of Major League Baseball was dedicated to him, marking the 50th anniversary of his entry into the league.
His uniform number 42 was retired first by the Dodgers, then by Major League Baseball in 1997. Players wearing number 42 at that time were allowed to continue wearing it until they retired or were traded.
Although more famous for his career in Brooklyn, Robinson always appreciated Montreal, Canada, where he played for the Montreal Royals. He enjoyed the enthusiastic support of the city, which provided a welcome refuge from racist hostility.
Robinson was the National League’s Most Valuable Player in 1949, leading the league in batting average .342, stolen bases 37, and sacrifice hits 17. He finished in the top 10 in MVP voting in 1947, 1951, and 1952.
He played himself in The Jackie Robinson Story 1950, while Chadwick Boseman portrayed him in 42 2013.
Elected to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991 for his time with the Montreal Royals.
His notable career statistics include a .311 batting average and a .409 on-base percentage.
Awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in March 2005.
Inducted into the California Community College Sports Hall of Fame in 1984 as part of the inaugural class.
Selected for the National League’s All-Star team six times from 1949 to 1954.
Primarily a second baseman, Robinson also played first base and third base at the beginning and end of his major league career, plus some left field.
He briefly played shortstop for the Kansas City Monarchs in 1945 before joining the Montreal Royals and Brooklyn Dodgers.
Rock icon Chuck Berry wrote a verse about Robinson’s athletic prowess in the classic hit Brown-Eyed Handsome Man.
His middle name Roosevelt was likely a tribute to Theodore Roosevelt, who died three weeks before Robinson was born.
Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball for the Brooklyn Dodgers and was elected to the Hall of Fame on January 23, 1962.
He had a daughter, Sharon, with Rachel.
He had a son, Jackie Jr., with Rachel.
Inducted into the Sport in Society Hall of Fame in 1997.
Played for the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1947 to 1956.
He helped bring back the stolen base to the National League with his exciting style of play.
Inducted into the ESPN New York Hall of Fame in 2011 as part of its inaugural class.
He is the younger brother of Mack Robinson.
In the 1960 Presidential Election, Robinson supported the Republican ticket of Richard Nixon and Henry Cabot Lodge over Democrats John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.
Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Jackie Robinson.
Celebrities similar to Jackie Robinson — same craft, ranked by reach.
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