Location: Jackie Robinson was born and raised in Cairo, Georgia. He was born the youngest of five children. According to Biography, “He attended John Muir High School and Pasadena Junior College, where he was an excellent athlete and played four sports: football, basketball, track, and baseball. He was named the region’s Most Valuable Player in baseball in 1938.” Jackie Robinson’s older brother was the one who inspired him to continue in athletics.
Early Life: Jackie continued playing sports in school and also continued his education in the University of California, Los Angeles. He won varsity letters in four sports and became the first student in the University to win them. Jackie’s older brother Matthew was in the Olympics of 1936, where he won a silver medal in a 200 meter dash right behind Jesse Owens. Jesse Owens had to leave UCLA and didn’t graduate because of financial problems. Later on he moved to Hawaii and played football with the Bears but stopped when the U.S went into WWII. Then Jackie Robinson went into the Army but was discharged in 1944 and that is when Jackie Robinson started playing professional baseball. According to ESPN, Jackie has been quoted to say, “A life is not important,’ he said, ‘except in the impact it has on other lives.” Jackie Robinson’s father Jerry left him and his family six months after he was born and so his mother took him and her children West in 1920. Contributions and Significance: Jackie Robinson is important today because he is the first African-American to play major league baseball. Also according to Biography, “Throughout his decade-long career with the Brooklyn Dodgers, he made advancements in the cause of civil rights for black athletes. In 1955, he helped the Dodgers win the World Series. He retired in 1957, with a career batting average of .311.”
Today’s Impact: Jackie Robinson is important today because he will always be known as the first African-American to play major league baseball and has impacted so many lives. He was known to stand up for his rights and disliked injustice. Jackie Robinson was the type of man that wasn’t afraid to speak his mind. The fact that Jackie Robinson was such a bold and outspoken and amazing baseball player, he gained much recognition for it and that will go down in history with him. According to the Library of Congress when asked after he is out of baseball, if he will be a fan of his own team that he played for he responded with, “My favorite team is the Dodgers, and I will root for them.” That shows he is a loyal and dedicated man.
Why You Chose this History Maker: I chose Jackie Robinson because he is the first African-American to play major league baseball and that will always be in history because he is the first African-American. He is important to me because he was a good baseball player and is recognized for it. He has made an impact in history because many people have looked up to him based on his character. He was very outspoken and believed in equality. His talents and athletic skills in baseball are known throughout history and he is one of my favorite baseball players.