Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born on January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia.
Breaking the color barrier, Jackie Robinson became the first African-American to play in
baseball's major leagues. Jackie was the youngest of five children and was raised in a
poverish household by his mother. 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. Jackie’s older brother, Matthew Robinson, inspired him
to pursue his talent and love for athletics. Jackie continued his education at the
University of California, Los Angeles, where he became the university's first student to
win varsity letters in four sports. In 1941, Robinson was forced to leave UCLA just shy of
graduation due to financial hardship. He moved to Honolulu, Hawaii, where he played
football for the semi-pro Honolulu Bears. His season with the Bears was cut short when
the United States entered into World War II. From 1942 to 1944, Robinson served as a
second lieutenant in the United States Army. His courage and moral objection to
segregation were precursors to the impact Robinson would have in major league
baseball.
He was the fifth child and fourth son of Mallie and Jerry Robinson, tenant
workers on the plantation of James Madison Sasser in Grady County, just a few miles
north of the Florida state line. Robinson's parents had a troubled marriage and Jerry
later left his wife and children behind for another woman. Jackie’s Grandparents did not
have any significant impact on his life as well. His mother took care of him and his
siblings all by herself and supported them greatly.