Jackie Robinson made history on April 15, 1947, when he broke baseball’s color barrier to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field. While winning Rookie of the Year honors and helping the Dodgers win the National League pennant, Robinson faced close scrutiny. As he later recalled, "I had to fight hard against loneliness, abuse, and the knowledge that any mistake I made would be magnified because I was the only black man out there." On October 14, 1947, Charles "Chuck" Yeager was the first to break the sound barrier. The rocket-engine powered Bell X-1, piloted by Yeager, reached a speed of 1,127 kilometers (700 miles) per hour, Mach 1.06, at an altitude of 13,000 meters (43,000 feet).
