This Day That Year

May 4

in History

Sage of Herat Was Born — A Sufi mystic and poet awakens
Herat, AfghanistanMedieval
1006

Sage of Herat Was Born

A Sufi mystic and poet awakens

In the ancient city of Herat, Abdullah Ansari was born -- the man who would become one of Islam's most revered Sufi saints and poets. Known as the 'Sage of Herat,' he composed sublime mystical poetry in Persian and produced profound commentaries on the Quran. His work 'Munajat' -- intimate conversations with God -- remains among the most beautiful expressions of Islamic mysticism, recited by devotees across the Persian-speaking world more than a millennium after his birth.

1006 AD
Luther Adler Was Born — A great stage family gains another star
New York City, United StatesEarly 20th Century
1903

Luther Adler Was Born

A great stage family gains another star

In New York City, Luther Adler was born into the most famous acting family in American theater. The son of legendary Yiddish theater star Jacob Adler, he became a founding member of the Group Theatre, the revolutionary company that transformed American acting. His intense, naturalistic performances on Broadway and in Hollywood films like 'D.O.A.' carried the torch of his family's theatrical legacy into the modern era, bridging the worlds of Yiddish theater and mainstream American entertainment.

1903 AD
American civil rights movement — American civil rights movement: The "Freedom Riders" begin a bus trip through the South.
Late 20th Century
1961

American civil rights movement

American civil rights movement: The "Freedom Riders" begin a bus trip through the South.

American civil rights movement: The "Freedom Riders" begin a bus trip through the South.

1961 AD