This was a monumental moment both from sports and a cultural perspective. On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson was called up to play his first game in the major leagues, as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers. In the process, he broke the unspoken color barrier that had previously existed in baseball, as he was the first African American to ever play in the majors. Robinson opened the door for other African American players to join him, and it was a major deal across the country.