Jackie Robinson Day was established on April 15, 1947, in honor of the first African-American professional athlete to play in Major League Baseball. He was prominently featured in the film “42.” In 1997, in his honor, his jersey number, 42, was retired by all teams: he was the first athlete in any sport to be so honored. Since April 15, 2004, every player has worn jersey number 42 only on April 15th each year.
