On this day in sports history...

On October 24, 1972, tragedy struck the sporting world, as one of the most beloved and impactful players in the history of sports, Jackie Robinson, passed away from a heart attack in Stamford, Connecticut.

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As most baseball fans know, Jackie Robinson had perhaps the greatest social impact of any sporting figure that walked this planet. He was the first African American player to participate in Major League Baseball when he debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. He faced racial torment and criticism throughout his career, but worked to overcome such criticism in a time when the United States and its citizens were not nearly as accepting of different races and ethnicities as they are today. He overcame such criticism to such a degree that he is consistently regarded as one of the best players in the history of the sport of baseball. Over the span of his ten-year career, Robinson stole home plate 19 times, compiled over 1,500 hits, a .311 batting average, smashed 137 home runs, was named National League MVP in 1949, and won a World Series in 1955. He retired two years after winning said World Series.

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Robinson’s number ‘42’ was retired by the Dodgers in 1972 and by all of Major League baseball in 1997. Every year, on April 15, the MLB celebrates “Jackie Robinson Day”, and all the players across the league wear the number ‘42’ to honor the all-time great. Additionally, an award was named in his honor in 1987 to crown each league’s (NL and AL) Rookie of the Year, as Robinson won the inaugural NL Rookie of the Year award for the NL in 1947.