“A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.” – Jackie Robinson

Today would have been Jackie Robinson’s 100th birthday. He was born January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia.

His quote points to his sacrificial nature and that as a forerunner for many who would follow, he was a symbol of courage and tenacity to so many people. The quote helps us not to focus only on ourselves, but to look also at how our actions affect those around us.

Robinson broke the baseball color barrier on April 15, 1947, when the Brooklyn Dodgers started him at first base at Ebbets Field before a crowd of 26,623 fans. When the Dodgers signed Robinson, they heralded the end of racial segregation in professional baseball that had relegated black players to the Negro leagues for over sixty years.

Robinson was an inspiration to millions of fans and is still celebrated today as his jersey number is retired by every Major League team honoring his courage as the first black player in the league. His retired number is the only number across the entire league among the four major sports in the U.S.

His accolades as a baseball player during his 9-year career with the Dodgers include:

6x All-Star, World Series Champion (1955), NL MVP, Rookie of the Year (1947), NL Batting Champion (1949), 2x NL Stolen Bases Leader

– Jason