Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born Jan. 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia. 

Jackie (second from the left) was the youngest of five brothers and sisters. Robinson’s stay in Georgia was short-lived, as he moved with mother and siblings to California shortly after his father left in 1920. 

Robinson became a four-sport star at UCLA, earning varsity letters in baseball, football, basketball and track and field. 

Robinson won the 1940 NCAA Men’s Track and Field Championships in the long jump. Surprisingly, in addition to playing football and basketball, he played just one season of baseball at UCLA, hitting only .097, not the start you’d expect to lead to a Hall of Fame MLB career.

Robinson was drafted in 1942 and served until 1944 when he received an honorable discharge after an incident where he refused to sit in the back of a military bus. He never actually saw any combat. 

Robinson signed with the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues, and it was here where he drew the attention of Brooklyn Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey. 

Robinson married his college sweetheart in February 1946. 

The couple welcomed its first child to the world later that year. 

Late in 1945 Robinson signed his historic deal with the Brooklyn Dodgers, paving the way for him to become the first black player in Major League Baseball. 

Robinson spent 1946 in Montreal playing for the Royals, the AAA affiliate of the Dodgers. 

Just prior to the start of the 1947 season, Robinson gets the call from the Dodgers to come and join the big league club. 

He is assigned No. 42, which would go on to become arguably the most iconic jersey number in MLB history. 

The Dodgers manager at the time was the legendary Leo Durocher, who was an outspoken champion for Robinson breaking the MLB color barrier. 

Robinson makes his MLB debut on April 15, 1947, drawing a walk and scoring a run in a 5-3 win. 

While not everyone on the Dodgers was excited to have Robinson on the team, most of his new teammates followed their manager’s lead and welcomed him with open arms. 

Robinson’s first year was an unmitigated success, where he hit just under .300 while leading the league in stolen bases on his way to his first World Series. For his efforts, he was named Rookie of the Year. 

One teammate in particular who came out in strong support of Robinson was Pee Wee Reese, who memorably once put his arm around Robinson, a gesture that was later memorialized as a statue in Brooklyn. 

Jackie Robinson was the first black player to make the All-Star team in 1949, and he made it five more times in each of the next five seasons. 

Robinson’s trials and tribulations while dealing with racism on and off the field are well-documented, but perhaps no one was as outspoken as Phillies manager Ben Chapman, who often hurled racial epithets at Robinson from the Philadelphia dugout. 

Long before his career ended, Robinson used his newfound fame to become a champion of civil rights across the United States. 

In the middle of his run with the Dodgers, Robinson starred in his own biopic in 1950, opposite Ruby Dee. 

Mr. and Mrs. Robinson ended up with a total of three kids: Jackie Jr., Sharon and David. 

Robinson took a role at NBC in 1952, which would later lead to him breaking into broadcasting following his retirement from baseball. 

A few months after Robinson’s debut, Larry Doby broke the color barrier in the American League, and the two quickly became close friends. 

Robinson’s best year as a Dodger came in 1949 when he led the league in batting average and steals while also scoring 122 runs and knocking in 124 runs on his way to his one and only NL MVP award. 

The Dodgers made it to the World Series a remarkable six times during Jackie Robinson’s tenure there but were bested by the Yankees during five of those trips. 

In 1955, the Dodgers finally got over the hump and defeated their crosstown adversary, giving Robinson his only World Series ring. 

While the title would make the Dodgers the toast of the city, the celebration would be short-lived, as they would move to Los Angeles in 1957, one year after Robinson retired. 

Robinson was all over the political spectrum, supporting candidates like Hubert Humphrey…

… to Nelson Rockefeller…

… to meeting Fidel Castro…

… and even supporting Richard Nixon’s presidential candidacy. 

Robinson spent the late 1950s and early part of the 1960s fighting for civil rights…

… including in this photo with boxer Floyd Patterson before the two boarded a flight to Birmingham. 

A little-remembered fact about Robinson is that the Dodgers actually traded him to the Giants following the 1956 season. However…

… he never suited up for them, instead announcing his retirement from professional baseball at the age of 37. 

Upon retirement, Robinson became president of the Chock Full O’ Nuts company. 

Robinson was elected to Cooperstown in 1962, his first year of eligibility on the ballot. He broke down another color barrier, becoming the first African-American to be given baseball’s highest honor. 

In the late ’60s Robinson did broadcast work for both ABC and the Montreal Expos, the city where his professional career began. 

In 1966, Robinson became general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers…of the Continental Football League, a pro football league that existed from 1965 to 1969. 

Jackie Robinson died on Oct. 24, 1972, from a heart attack at the age of 53. Nearly 3,000 people attended his funeral.

On April 15, 1997, Jackie Robinson became the first athlete to have his number retired league-wide. To this day, every player in the league sports No. 42 on April 15 as a tribute to the iconic Robinson.