Named after former U.S. president, Theodore Roosevelt, Jackie Roosevelt Robinson was always destined for greatness. Despite being born into a family of sharecroppers in Cairo, Georgia, Jack continued his pursuit for greatness in the face of opposition.
Famous for being the first African American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era, he also became the first black man to break the color barrier when he started at first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
In the face of segregation and discrimination, Jack flourished and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.
In his successful 10-year MLB career, Jack, in 1947 won the inaugural Rookie of the Year Award, was in the all-star team for six seasons from 1949 through 1954, and won the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1949—the first black player so honored.
The MLB retired his jersey number (42) across all major league teams and he became the first professional athlete in any sport to be so honored.
He died sadly on this day in 1972 from complications from heart disease and diabetes which got him almost blind by middle age. He passed at age 53 years old.
In honor of his deeds in the Major League Baseball, Face2Face Africa brings you some famous quotes from this star athlete: