On this day in history, January 31, 1919, Jackie Robinson, baseball pioneer and World War II veteran, was born in Georgia.

Jack Roosevelt “Jackie” Robinson, who joined Major League Baseball in 1947, was born into a family of sharecroppers in Cairo, Georgia, on this day in history, January 31, 1919.

His fight for racial equality and his exploits on the field of play made him the first athlete in American sports to have his number (42) retired by every team in his game.

Among many accomplishments on the diamond, Robinson was an incredible four-sport star at UCLA. It was widely considered one of the most exciting college football players of his time. He also served in the US Army in World War II, where he first advocated for racial equality.

“Her mother, Mallie Robinson, raised Jackie and her four other children alone. They were the only black family on her block, and the prejudice they encountered only strengthened their bond,” says Jackie Robinson.com, the official website for the latest sports. legend

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“From this humble beginning would grow the first baseball player to break through Major League Baseballthe color barrier that segregated the sport for more than 50 years.”

Robinson took the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947, after excelling for the franchise’s Montreal farm team in 1946.

“It was the most anticipated debut in the annals of the national pastime,” wrote authors Robert Lipsyte and Pete Levine in “Idols of the Game.”

“It represented both the dream and the fear of equal opportunity, and it would forever change the complexion of the game and the attitudes of Americans.”

“It was the most anticipated debut in the annals of the national pastime.” – Robert Lipsyte and Pete Levine on “Idols of the Game”

Robinson played well enough that season to earn National League Rookie of the Year honors and win fans across the country.

His presence changed baseball, opening the floodgates for it to become the diverse multinational sport it is today.

In addition to white, black, Asian and Hispanic Americans, more than a quarter of Major League Baseball last season were foreign-born, representing 21 different nations around the world.

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In addition to changing the future of baseball, Robinson also changed the fortunes of a historically struggling Brooklyn franchise called the “Dem Bums.”

The Dodgers played for decades in the shadow of crosstown rivals New York Yankees in the Bronx and the New York Giants in Manhattan.

From left, Brooklyn Dodgers third baseman John Jorgensen, shortstop Pee Wee Reese, second baseman Ed Stanky and first baseman Jackie Robinson before a baseball game against the Boston Braves at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn , New York, on April 15, 1947.
(AP Photo/Harry Harris, File)

They quickly reached their greatest period of success with Robinson on the roster.

Brooklyn won National League pennants in 1947, 1949, 1952 and 1953, although they lost the World Series each year.

Robinson and the Dodgers finally overcame and beat the Yankees in the 1955 World Series, the only championship for the organization in more than half a century of play in Brooklyn.

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Robinson retired from baseball after the 1956 season. The Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in 1958.

In just 10 years, Robinson amassed an incredible list of individual and team honors: Rookie of the Year, National League MVP, National League Batting Champion, two-time stolen base leader, six-time All Star and World Series champion.

“Robinson’s presence changed baseball, opening the floodgates for it to become the diverse multinational sport it is today.”

Before baseball, Robinson served the nation honorably in the United States Army in World War II.

He was drafted in 1942, commissioned a second lieutenant in January 1943 and assigned to the 761st Tank Battalion “Black Panthers” at Fort Hood, Texas, according to the US Department of Defense.

There, he made a public stand for equal treatment on a military bus.

“The driver ordered Robinson to move to the back of the bus, but Robinson refused. The driver called the military police, who took Robinson into custody. He was later court-martialed, but he was acquitted,” he writes. the Department of Defense.

“After his acquittal, he was transferred to Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky, where he served as a Army athletics until receiving an honorable discharge in November 1944.”

An 82-yard drive in the final five minutes of the game led the UCLA football team to a 13-13 tie with Oregon State College in an open battle in front of 40,000 fans. The statistics showed that the two teams were playing almost evenly with UCLA having a slight edge. Photo shows UCLA right half Jackie Robinson (#28) being tackled after receiving an 8-yard pass from teammate Kenny Washington. Oregon State right tackle Walter Jelsma is shown at #56.
(Getty Images)

Robinson attended UCLA before being drafted by Uncle Sam.

He remains the only player in school history to letter in four sports: baseball, football, basketball and track.

Remembered today for his exploits on the diamond, he was a bigger star on the gridiron in college.

“Robinson became an All-American football player who set the UCLA record for yards per carry in a season with 12.2 yards per attempt on 42 carries in 1939,” the NCAA reports on his achievement.

“Jackie Robinson made my success possible.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

“He led the nation in punt return average in 1939 and 1940. . . Made a critical goal-line tackle in front of more than 103,000 fans in a scoreless tie against eventual national champion Southern California in the regular season finale of rivals Los Angeles.”

In track and field, Robinson “won the Pacific Coast Conference and NCAA titles in the long jump with leaps of 25-0 and 24-10,” the NCAA reports.

“Had the 1940 and 1944 Olympics not been canceled because of World War II, Robinson probably would have been able to compete.”

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His battle for equality as a professional, however, was fought and won on the baseball diamond.

Robinson was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. He received an unprecedented honor on April 15, 1997, the 50th anniversary of his first appearance with the Dodgers, when his number was retired by all teams of the Major League.

Jackie Robinson, in military uniform, became the first African-American to sign with a white professional baseball team. He signed a contract with the Montreal minor league club, a farm team of the Brooklyn Dodgers.
(Getty Images)

The rare accolade has been repeated only twice since then in American sports.

Wayne Gretzky’s number 99 was retired by all National Hockey League teams in 2000; The National Basketball Association announced last year that Bill Russell’s No. 6 will be retired by all teams in its league.

“Without him, I would never have been able to do what I did.”

Robinson suffered health problems after his playing career. He was only 53 when he suffered a heart attack and died in 1972.

“A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives,” Robinson said in a widely cited quote.

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In this regard, few stood out better than baseball’s greats.

“Jackie Robinson made my success possible,” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. later said. “Without him, I would never have been able to do what I did.”