Robinson is among the league's greatest figures

Jackie Robinson, who broke the MLB's color barrier, made his debut in 1947

In the early 1940s, Brooklyn Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey began scouting Negro League players to break baseball’s long-standing color barrier. Jackie Robinson was signed in 1945 and made his major league debut on Opening Day 1947 against the Boston Braves.

'A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.'

- Jackie Robinson, the first Black MLB player (1919-1972)

Paul Robeson was the Harlem Renaissance's chief renaissance man

Robeson played many roles throughout his life: He was an All-American football player who was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, earned a law degree while playing in the NFL, starred in numerous films and Broadway shows, and became an outspoken advocate for labor and civil rights. His vocal criticism of US involvement in the Korean War led to his passport being voided and a protracted struggle with the US government.

Sylvia Robinson is considered ‘the Godmother of Hip-Hop’

While hip-hop was soundtracking countless parties in the early ‘70s, Robinson saw the music’s potential. She began writing, producing, and releasing some of the music’s earliest singles through her Sugar Hill Records label and helped build a place in the music industry for the young music. Robinson’s groundbreaking work led to a 2022 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The top 100 players in baseball history

More than 20,000 players have played in Major League Baseball since the 1870s, many passing in and out of the memory of even die-hard fans. While necessarily subjective, these rankings based on votes from baseball writers ranks those whose greatness left a lasting impression. From Barry Larkin (No. 100) to Babe Ruth (No. 1), explore the top 100 baseball players over more than a century.

In 1975, a Major League Baseball clause that kept players legally tied to their teams after retirement was dismantled

Players fought the "reserve clause" for years, citing the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, but to no avail—in fact, the Supreme Court ruled professional baseball was neither interstate nor commerce in 1922. Players effectively unionized in 1966, and by 1975, an arbitration panel ruling led to the dismantling of the reserve clause, which had been the only antitrust exemption in professional sports.

Tom Robbins wrote comedy for the counterculture

Robbins passed away at the age of 92, leaving behind a catalog filled with surreal and comic explorations of the American counterculture. But his early success led some to disregard the prophetic and nuanced storytelling in his books.

Pete Rozelle made football an American obsession

There have been eight NFL commissioners in the league’s 100-plus year history, but none of them changed the league quite like Pete Rozelle. This 1984 New York Times Magazine profile looks back at the substantial changes Rozelle brought to the league since he took the job in 1960, as well as the challenges he faced while in office.

In 1939, baseball star Lou Gehrig delivered his inspirational 'Luckiest Man' speech after retiring due to the health condition that now bears his name.

In 1985, one player said 40% of his colleagues used cocaine

The 1985 Pittsburgh Drug Trials found over a dozen MLB players taking the stand to testify about drug use around the league. Mets star Keith Hernandez, who was given immunity, testified 40% of players used cocaine. The trial led to seven convictions.

Little League sensation Danny Almonte was two years older than his competitors

The New York pitcher was a hotshot pitcher in the 2001 Little League World Series, catapulting his Bronx team to a third-place finish thanks to a no-hitter and a perfect game. Sports Illustrated eventually reported that Almonte was 14, not 12, and that his coach and father had knowingly misled Little League. They were both banned, though Almonte himself was cleared of all wrongdoing.

Talese’s story on Joe DiMaggio examined the sports star’s life post-retirement

The profile, written in the aftermath of his popular “Frank Sinatra Has a Cold,” similarly offered a close look at an American icon after their prime. In DiMaggio’s story, however, the Yankees player seeks to vanish into obscurity and live a quiet life, golfing and mourning his ex-wife Marilyn Monroe.

In 1939, baseball star Lou Gehrig delivered his 'Luckiest Man' speech after retiring due to a health condition

Gehrig's diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a disease that now bears his name, forced him to retire early. Weeks later, he spoke with gratitude and stated, "For the past two weeks, you have been reading about a bad break. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth." Gehrig died at the age of 37, about two years later.

The 1960s Boston Celtics are among the NBA's best teams

The 1960s was a decade dominated by the Boston Celtics. They won nine championships in the decade and 11 titles in 13 seasons between 1957 and 1969, propelled by their coach and general manager "Red" Auerbach" and center Bill Russell.

Hear the stories behind each Super Bowl ring from the past 59 champions

Super Bowl rings are championship jewelry given to players, coaches, and staff to commemorate a title. Over time, they’ve grown dramatically—from the Packers’ 1966 ring with a single half-carat diamond to modern designs featuring nearly 10 carats.

Long before Major League Baseball began allowing instant replay for balls and strikes, an umpire reluctantly used the technology to determine whether a hit was a home run, a move that inadvertently ushered in a new era for the sport.

Explaining the 1985 Chicago Bears defense, the greatest ever

Led by coach Mike Ditka, the Bears' 1985 defensive unit led the league in total points allowed, yards allowed, and total takeaways. Throughout the season, the team maintained an average of 12.4 points per game, and during its last three playoff games, it only allowed ten points. Few teams have come close to such a defensive display.

Brian Wilson said ‘Be My Baby’ is ‘the greatest record ever produced’

The legendary Beach Boy was shocked the first time he heard the Ronettes’ song. “I was driving and I had to pull over to the side of the road — it blew my mind.” He claims he spent his career trying in vain to do something as good. “It’s the greatest record ever produced. No one will ever top that one.”

Robins are a major host for West Nile in North America

Explore this interactive with key details and interesting facts about the disease, including that Culex genus mosquitoes are the main US vector for its spread, and that certain species—American crows and blue jays—are quite infectious with the disease, while American robins—despite being a significant host for the virus in North America—are less infectious.

Understanding college basketball's guru, UCLA's John Wooden

John Wooden coached UCLA to an unprecedented 10 NCAA titles, including seven straight from 1967 to 1973. He studied the characteristics that made people successful and, in 1948, created his iconic triangular diagram with 25 common behaviors. This article unpacks the 25-block framework that makes the "Pyramid of Success" and shows how Wooden's off-court wisdom shaped future champs like Bill Walton and Steve Kerr.

When a radio company was the biggest tech stock around

The Radio Corporation of America was the biggest stock during the 1920s. Originally called Marconi Wireless, the company transformed radio technology. The company pioneered broadcasting, created NBC, and became a tech giant. After remarkable growth and challenges, RCA was acquired by General Electric in 1986, marking the end of its 67-year independent existence.

Roosevelt's 4 elections were driven by 2 major crises

Franklin D. Roosevelt won third and fourth terms in 1940 and 1944 as Americans emerged from the Great Depression and sought continuity during World War II. Voters prioritized stability, keeping Roosevelt in office until his death in 1945.

Despite the rules, a Nobel Prize in medicine has been awarded posthumously

Ralph Steinman, whose work revealed how dendritic cells activate immune responses, passed away just days before being named a Nobel laureate. Although Nobel Prizes cannot be awarded posthumously, the committee made an exception because they believed he was alive at the time of the decision.

Loyola's 98-year-old team chaplain became a beloved figure during the 2018 tournament

Sister Jean became an international celebrity in 2018 when she cheered Loyola Chicago's Ramblers to the Final Four at age 98, inspiring bobbleheads and merchandise before passing away in October 2025 at 106.

A tragic injury led to the original NHL All-Star Game

The annual NHL All-Star Game is a joyous affair celebrating the best players each season. But its origins came from one of the most terrifying moments in hockey history. In a 1933 game, Maple Leafs wing Ace Bailey was nearly killed on the ice, and the NHL organized a benefit game to raise money for his family.

José Raúl Capablanca lost only 34 games in his entire career

World champion from 1921 to 1927, Capablanca was famed for his near-invincible style and masterful endgames. His extraordinary record of just 34 lifetime losses across thousands of games earned him the nickname “The Human Chess Machine.”

John Dingell Jr. was the longest-serving member of the House

John Dingell Jr. served 59 years in the United States House of Representatives, representing his Michigan constituents. This list highlights the 33 House members in US history who have served 40 years or longer.

Brian Wilson wrote the Beach Boys' 'Don't Worry Baby' for the Ronettes, but the legendary girl group rejected it.

See the most iconic photos from four decades of LIFE magazine

Exploring the Larry Bird punch that almost changed March Madness

Hear 50 years of iconic hip-hop samples, the genre's foundational looped tracks

The US first hosted the World Cup in 1994, a tournament that lives in soccer infamy for its poor planning and the murder of Colombian player Andres Escobar, who'd accidentally scored on his own net.

A researcher recently discovered an interview from 1967 between groundbreaking journalist Joan Didion and the Grateful Dead, years before the band became an institution.

The first robot in literature may have been a 'mechanical man' in 1907's 'Ozma of Oz,' a book in L Frank Baum's 'Wizard of Oz' series.

In its famous catalog, Sears sold $600 DIY house kits from 1908 through the 1940s, resulting in an estimated 100,000 'Sears and Roebuck homes.'

Crows are believed to have intelligence on par with a seven-year-old child and demonstrate complex behaviors, from problem-solving with tools to recognizing human faces.

Apollo astronauts left items in the moon's 'toss zone,' including golf balls, family photos, and bags of human waste, to make room for lunar rocks.

The 1987 Nintendo video game 'Stadium Events' isn't known for being particularly fun, but its scarcity has made it a highly sought-after item that has sold for up to $35K at auction.

Dozens of S&P 500 stocks, including Coca-Cola and Walmart—known as the dividend aristocrats—have increased dividends every year for 25 years

In 1915, workers recovered a submarine-like vessel from the Chicago River, prompting fears of German espionage

Jimmy Carter signed a 1978 bill that legalized home brewing, a move credited with kick-starting the craft beer industry.

American dance legend Martha Graham, sometimes called 'the Picasso of dance,' refused to perform at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin and conceived the piece 'Chronicle' in response to the experience.

Meet the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence—most of whom didn't put pen to paper until August 2, 1776—and see their original signatures.

Comedy legend Catherine O'Hara, star of 'Schitt's Creek' and 'Home Alone,' quit 'Saturday Night Live' after just one week to return to her old job.

Domino's Pizza's 30-minute delivery guarantee was responsible for the chain's 1980s surge, but it was discontinued after the company was found liable for delivery driver accidents.

View the ten deadliest tornadoes in US history.

As of 2025, the most cited papers in science include a review of graphene, methods to improve image recognition, streamlining electron density calculations, and optimizing protein studies.

Legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed the SC Johnson headquarters in Wisconsin, aiming to make a cathedral-like workplace

Learn how monoclonal antibodies, which mimic the body's antibodies, can fight diseases like Ebola.

All rainbows are 'raincircles' caused by water droplets separating white sunlight into a spectrum of colors, but Earth's surface blocks the bottom half of the circle from our line of sight.