Nothing will beat the honor Major League Baseball gave Jackie Robinson in 1997, retiring his number, 42, for every single major league team. But don't let that stop you from appreciating the Doodle that Google crafted for what would be the baseball legend's 94th birthday.
Robinson, the first African American player to break Major League Baseball's color line and play in what was once a whites-only game, was born on January 31, 1919. He faced racism and harassment during his career with the Brooklyn Dodgers and was a famous advocate for nonviolence. Robinson played for the Dodgers for a decade and led the way for more African Americans to take part in professional baseball in the U.S. In 1955, he helped led the Dodgers to its only World Series title before the team's move to Los Angeles.
Robinson was an equal rights advocate for his entire life, and The Jackie Robinson Foundation continues his efforts to empower American minorities through scholarship programs. Posthumously, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1984 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2005.
In 2013, Robinson seems to be having a moment. In addition to Thursday's Google Doodle, Jackie Robinson's life will be brought to the big screen this year in the new film '42,' directed by Brian Helgeland. The film is scheduled to be released in July 2013.
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