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Biography · Noble People · 41 / 100

Jackie Robinson

1919–1972 · Baseball player

Portrait of Jackie Robinson
Harry Warnecke / Frank Livia / Robert F. Cranston / William Klein · Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Bio

American baseball player who in 1947 became the first Black athlete in the modern era to play in Major League Baseball, ending roughly sixty years of segregation in the sport. He won Rookie of the Year and later Most Valuable Player while facing sustained abuse from crowds and opponents. He campaigned for civil rights after retirement, and his number 42 is retired league-wide.