Happy Birthday, Jackie

Today in 1919 Jackie Robinson was born.

A stunning second baseman over ten seasons, he played in six World Series and contributed to the Dodgers' 1955 World Championship. He was selected for six consecutive All-Star Games from 1949 to 1954, was the recipient of the inaugural MLB Rookie of the Year Award in 1947, and won the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1949 – the first black player so honored. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962 on the first ballot. In 1997, Major League Baseball retired his uniform number, 42, across all major league teams.

And of course, he was the first black major leaguer since 1880, breaking baseball's color barrier... and contributing massively to the advancement of civil rights.