What is Jackie Robinson Day around Major League Baseball and why is it always on April 15?

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jackie Robinson’s legacy is being celebrated around the major leagues on Tuesday, with the day named for the first Black baseball player of the modern era and marking the 78th anniversary of his debut for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Robinson's historic achievement preceded President Harry S. Truman's desegregation of the military in 1948. Robinson served in the Army for two years before his pro baseball career.

He made a cultural impact not only through his success on the field. His character and his belief in nonviolence in the face of harassment by fans and racist attitudes among some of his fellow players won Robinson widespread respect and admiration. After his career ended, Robinson campaigned for civil rights, was active in politics and spoke out about baseball's lack of minority managers and personnel at MLB headquarters.

“I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me,” he said. “All I ask is that you respect me as a human being.”

On opening day this year, 6.2% of MLB players were Black, up from 6% in 2024 and the first year-over-year improvement since 2018, according to MLB.com.

It's the day every year that Major League Baseball honors Robinson. His debut on April 15, 1947, ended 80 years of segregation in the sport. It's celebrated at every major league park hosting games that day. It was first held in 2004.

Jack Roosevelt Robinson broke baseball's color line when he started at first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers at the relatively advanced age of 28. Until the team signed him, Black players had been relegated to the Negro Leagues since the 1880s.

Born in Georgia, Robinson grew up in Pasadena, California, where his family encountered racism and his brother, Mack, could only find work as a street sweeper after winning a silver medal behind Jesse Owens in the 200 meters at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Robinson participated in football, baseball, basketball and track at Pasadena Junior College and UCLA, where he became a star football player for the Bruins. Robinson's name and likeness now adorns various sites around Pasadena, including the historic Rose Bowl.

He played 10 years with the Dodgers, earning the Rookie of the Year award in 1947, was a six-time All-Star and became the first Black player to win National League Most Valuable Player award in 1949. He played in six World Series and contributed to the Dodgers' 1955 championship team. He was inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame in 1962, his first year of eligibility. Robinson died at age 53 of a heart attack in 1972. He's buried at Cypress Hills Cemetery in Brooklyn.

A Department of Defense webpage describing Robinson’s military service was restored last month after it was missing. Pages honoring a Black Medal of Honor winner and Japanese American service members were taken down, which the Pentagon said was a mistake. The Defense Department has been removing online content singling out contributions by women and minority groups, which President Donald Trump's administration considers to be diversity, equity and inclusion.

Robinson wore No. 42 during his playing days with the Dodgers. In 2009, every player, manager and coach began wearing the number to honor Robinson, which can make identifying them confusing. The umpires also wear the number, the only one universally retired by all major league teams.

The date marks the anniversary of Robinson's debut in 1947. It was also opening day in baseball that season. He started at first base and went 0 for 3, but reached base on an error and scored the winning run in a 5-3 victory over the Boston Braves in Brooklyn.

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Former NBA basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar prepares to speak to members of the Los Angeles Dodgers to commemorate Jackie Robinson Day before a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

People gather at Dodger Stadium to commemorate Jackie Robinson Day before a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, left, hugs members of the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium during an event to commemorate Jackie Robinson Day before a baseball game Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

FILE - Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Nationals team members arrive to celebrate Jackie Robinson Tribute Day before a baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, on Monday, April 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)

FILE - Ayo Robinson, the granddaughter of baseball great Jackie Robinson, pauses next to a sculpture of her grandfather on Jackie Robinson Day before a baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Washington Nationals at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Monday, April 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)

FILE - Brooklyn Dodgers' infielder Jackie Robinson is photographed on April 18, 1948. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - Brooklyn Dodgers' Jackie Robinson safely steals home plate under the tag of New York Yankees catcher Yogi Berra as pinch-hitter Frank Kellert looks on in the eighth inning of the World Series opener at New York's Yankee Stadium, Sept. 28, 1955. (AP Photo/John Rooney, File)

FILE - Baseball Player Jackie Robinson with the Montreal Royals club at Sanford, Fla., March 4, 1946. (AP Photo/Bill Chaplis, File)

HYDERABAD, India (AP) — Skipper Rishabh Pant led a successful chase on Sunday in Indian Premier League cricket with 68 not out off 50 balls as Lucknow Super Giants beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by five wickets with one ball remaining for its first win this season.

Pant hit nine fours but no sixes in his first half-century of the season, and opener Aiden Markram scored a 27-ball 45 as Lucknow finished with 160-5 in 19.5 overs in reply to Hyderabad’s 156-9.

Hyderabad’s top order failed to get going again, and it was reduced to 26-4 before Heinrich Klaasen (62) and Nitish Reddy (56) revived the innings.

Pacer Mohammed Shami picked up 2-9 in four overs for Lucknow. Prince Yadav (2-34) and Avesh Khan (2-36) also contributed.

It was a second loss for Hyderabad in three games this season.

Put into bat, Hyderabad struggled against Shami’s pace. Abhishek Sharma was out for a two-ball duck, while opening partner Travis Head was caught for seven.

A major blow came when in-form Ishan Kishan was bowled for just one to leave Hyderabad at 11-3 in 3.3 overs. That became 26-4 when Liam Livingstone was caught behind for 14 off wrist spinner Digvesh Rathi (1-46).

The Klaasen-Reddy partnership resisted though, adding 116 off 63 balls for the fifth wicket. South African Klaasen scored a second consecutive half-century — off 33 balls – following up on his 52 against Kolkata Knight Riders.

Reddy hit 50 off 30 balls and their 100-stand came off only 56 balls.

Left-arm spinner Manimaran Siddharth got the breakthrough in the 18th over with Reddy caught at deep cover. Three balls later, Klaasen was caught behind in another serious blow to Hyderabad at the death.

The Sunrisers lost four wickets for only 12 runs off the last 12 balls to lose all momentum and finished with a sub-par score.

In reply, Lucknow lost Mitchell Marsh for 14 but Markram still got his team off to a swift start. He hit two sixes and six fours, adding 40 off 28 balls with Pant for the second wicket.

Markram was dismissed just prior to the halfway stage but Pant was still there. He reached 50 off 43 balls, anchoring the innings with a 20th half century in the IPL.

Ayush Badoni (12), Nicholas Pooran (1) and Abdul Samad (16) fell cheaply in the middle order but Pant finished the job for Lucknow.

In Sunday’s late game, defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru faced Chennai Super Kings in the southern derby in Bengaluru.

Chennai won the toss and chose to bowl first.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

Lucknow Super Giants' Mohammed Shami, centre, celebrates with teammates the wicket of Sunrisers Hyderabad's Travis Head during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants in Hyderabad, India, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

Sunrisers Hyderabad's Heinrich Klaasen celebrates his fifty runs during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants in Hyderabad, India, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

Lucknow Super Giants' captain Rishabh Pant hits a boundary during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants in Hyderabad, India, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)