Happy Jackie Robinson Day!

April 15 is normally Tax Day, but since the 15th falls on a Sunday this year, the government gives everyone an extra day to file. So don't spend Sunday fretting about getting your paperwork to the IRS; instead, celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of what may have been one of the most significant events in the United States in the twentieth century.

On April 15, 1947 Jackie Robinson played his first game for the Brooklyn Dodgers, becoming the first non-white player in the Major Leagues. At the time, the military, public schools, and many other American institutions were still segregated and would be for several more years. Major League Baseball is celebrating this hallowed anniversary by allowing dozens of players, including every player on the Dodgers, to wear Jackie's #42, the only number retired by the entire league, thus proving that uniform numbers in baseball are entirely unecessary. Some have suggested that too many 42s will cheapen the significance of the number, but you can't do too much to draw attention to what happened 60 years ago.

More on Jackie Robinson:

• "After Jackie: Torii Hunter": The Twins star looks back on Jackie's legacy and laments how baseball's popularity has declined among African Americans


• "Robinson Cleared the Way for Black Hispanics": ESPN Deportes' Enrique Rojas looks at Jackie Robinson's effect on Latino players


• Jackie Robinson's Wikipedia entry


• Jackie Robinson's page at the Baseball Hall of Fame