Jack (Jackie) Roosevelt Robinson (January 31, 1919 - October 24, 1972) was the first black man allowed to play Major League Baseball.
Robinson was born in Cairo, Georgia. He starred in baseball, football, basketball, and track when he was a student at UCLA (University of California at Los Angeles). He served in the US Army during World War II (from 1942 to 1945), finishing his term as a lieutenant. Soon after, he played with the Montreal Royals (in the International League) beginning on April 18, 1946 - Robinson was the first black player in that league.
On April 11, 1947, Robinson played his first Major League Baseball game (he played for the Brooklyn Dodgers in an exhibition game against the New York Yankees). Robinson played with the Dodgers for 10 years; he was voted Rookie of the Year in 1947, led the league with his batting average (.342) in 1949, and was also voted Most Valuable Player in 1949. He played in six World Series and was the first African-American in the Baseball Hall of Fame (in 1962).
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