4,000 years ago. Later the ancient
Romans became famous as road builders.
They built roads paved with stone
across Europe. The Spanish built the
first roads in North America along
Native American trails. Early roads in
colonial America were usually dirt,
sometimes covered with rows of logs.
Before automobiles were invented in the
late 1800s, people used roads to travel
by foot, by horse, and by wagon. As cars
became popular in the early 1900s,
people began building more roads paved
with concrete and asphalt. In the 1950s
the United States began building a system
of large roads, called highways,
across the country. Today highways cross
many countries. But some poor countries
still have mostly unpaved roads.
#More to explore
Automobile • Concrete
Roadrunner
Certain birds in the cuckoo family are
called roadrunners. Roadrunners can fly,
but they are rather clumsy in flight and
get tired quickly. They prefer to dash
around on their powerful legs. A roadrunner
sometimes reaches speeds of
more than 15 miles (24 kilometers) per
hour. While running, it stretches out its
neck, spreads out its short wings, and
jerks its long tail up and down.
There are two kinds of roadrunner. The
greater roadrunner lives in Mexico and
the southwestern United States. The
lesser roadrunner is found in Mexico
and Central America. Most roadrunners
live in deserts and other open areas without
many trees.
The greater roadrunner is about 22
inches (56 centimeters) long. Its feathers
are streaked in olive-brown and white.
The lesser roadrunner is somewhat
smaller and less streaked. Both kinds
have a short tuft of shaggy feathers,
called a crest, on the head.
Drivers use the ramps of a cloverleaf intersection
to get on and off a long-distance
highway. Cloverleafs cost so much money
and take up so much land that they are usually
spaced far apart.
Roadrunners are usually seen on the
ground, where they feed on small animals.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Roadrunner 71
Roadrunners chase and catch lizards,
snakes, mice, and insects for food. A
roadrunner often holds an animal in its
bill and pounds it to death against rocks.
#More to explore
Bird • Cuckoo
Robin
Robins are familiar and much-loved
songbirds with reddish chest feathers.
Several species, or types, of bird are
called robins. The best-known types are
the American robin and the European
robin. Early European settlers in North
America named the American robin
after the European bird. Both these
types belong to the thrush family, along
with bluebirds and nightingales. But
American and European robins are not
closely related.
American and European robins were
originally woodland birds. They are now
also commonly found in gardens, on
lawns, and in parks. American robins are
found throughout most of North
America. Most of them fly south for the
winter. European robins are found
throughout Europe and in parts of western
Asia and northern Africa. Some of
the robins of northern Europe fly south
for the winter.
The American robin is about 10 inches
(25 centimeters) long. It has an orange
or dull reddish breast and belly. The
head is black, and the upper parts are
dark gray. Females and young males are
paler than adult males.
The European robin is much smaller,
with a length of about 5.5 inches (14
centimeters). It has orange-red feathers
on its breast, throat, and face. The belly
is white, and the upper parts are brownish
olive.
Both types of robin are often seen hopping
across lawns. They look for worms
or insects to pull up from the soil.
American robins eat worms, insects, and
The American robin has a reddish breast
and belly.
The European robin has a reddish face and
breast.
72 Robin BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
fruits. European robins eat mainly
insects but also some worms, fruits, and
seeds.
#More to explore
Bird • Bluebird • Nightingale • Songbird
Robinson, Jackie
Jackie Robinson was the first African
American to play baseball in the modern
era of the major leagues. He played as an
infielder and outfielder for the Brooklyn
Dodgers from 1947 through 1956.
Early Life
Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born on
January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia. He
grew up in Pasadena, California. He was
a star athlete in football, basketball,
track, and baseball at the University of
California at Los Angeles (UCLA).
From 1942 to 1945 he served in the
U.S. Army.
After leaving the Army Robinson played
baseball for the Kansas City Monarchs.
The team belonged to the Negro American
League. At that time only white
players were allowed in the major
leagues.
Major League Career
Branch Rickey, president of the Brooklyn
Dodgers, was interested in making
major league baseball open to black
players. He knew that the first African
American brought into the majors
would have to be very special. When
Rickey met Robinson, he knew he had
found the right person. Robinson first
played for the Dodgers in 1947. At the
end of the season he was chosen as the
best new player in baseball. In 1949 he
was chosen as the most valuable player
in the National League.
Although Robinson played well, things
were not always easy. Players and people
in the crowd often shouted hateful
