Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Jackie Robinson biograghy

Jackie Robinson was born in Cairo, Georgia on January 31, 1919 to a family of sharecroppers. His birth name was Jack Rooselvelt Robinson. His mother was Mallie Robinson. She raised Jackie and his four other siblings by herself. Jackie was the youngest of the 5 children. They were the only black family on their block. The predjudice they encountered only strengthed their bond. Jackie's father left the family when he was born. Jackie attended John Muir High School and Pasadena Junior College. Where he was an excellent athlete and played 4 sports: football, basketball, track and baseball. He was named the regions most valuable player in baseball in 1938. Jackie's older brother Mathew, inspired him to pursue his talent and love for athletics. His brother Mathew won a silver medal at the 1936 olympic games in Berlin. Jackie continued his education at the Univeristy of California, where he was the first person to earn varsity letters in 4 different sports. In 1941, despite his athletic success, Robinson was forced to leave UCLA just shy of graduation due to financial hardship. He moved to Hawaii where he played for the Honolulu Bears, a semi-profession football team. His season was cut short though when the United States entered World War II. After he discharged
from the army in 1944, Robinson played baseball professionally.



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