Jackie Robinson Commemorative Stamp

On Aug. 2, 1982, the U.S. Postal Service released a 20-cent stamp commemorating baseball great Jackie Robinson as the fifth in the annual Black Heritage series of stamps. First day of issue ceremonies were held at the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Robinson was born on Jan. 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia. When he was young, his family moved to California. At UCLA, Robinson became a multi-sport athlete -- averaging over eleven yards per carry in football, leading the conference in scoring in basketball for two years, winning the NCAA long jump title in track, and becoming a champion swimmer. After spending a year playing minor league baseball in Canada, Robinson made history when he broke professional baseball's color barrier by playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. Not only did Robinson excel at the game, but was masterful at controlling his emotions in the face of opposition to his playing. But breaking the color barrier was only one of many "firsts" for Robinson. He was also the first black to win the MVP award, the first black elected to the Hall of Fame (1962), and the first professional baseball player ever to appear on an American postage stamp. Upon retiring from baseball, Robinson starred in a movie about his life, wrote several autobiographical works, and had a weekly newspaer column and radio show. In 1972, the Dodgers retired Jackie Robinson's number. That same year, he died in Stamford, Conn. on Oct. 24.

For other information on Jackie Robinson, click here.

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