Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson (January 31, 1919
– October 24, 1972) was the first African American Major
League Baseball (MLB) player of the modern era.Robinson
broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the
Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. As the first black man to openly
play in the major leagues since the 1880s, he was
instrumental in bringing an end to racial segregation in
professional baseball, which had relegated African-Americans
to the Negro leagues for six decades. The example of his
character and unquestionable talent challenged the
traditional basis of segregation, which then marked many
other aspects of American life, and contributed
significantly to the Civil Rights Movement.