4 May in Indian and World History is celebrated, observed, and remembered for various reasons. 4 May is the birth anniversary of Tyagaraja, Jyotirindranath Tagore, Kyasamballi Chengaluraya Reddy, Anna Chandy, Gurcharan Singh Garewal, Balswaroop Raahi, and Trisha.
4 May is also observed as the death anniversary of Tipu Sultan, Richard Pike Bissell, and Kishan Maharaj.
Birth Anniversary
4 May in Indian history is celebrated as the birth anniversary of the following personalities:
Tyagaraja (4 May 1767 – 6 January 1847), was a renowned composer of Carnatic music which is a form of Indian classical music. He was prolific and highly influential in the development of India’s classical music tradition. He is regarded as the Trinity of Carnatic music. He was born on 4 May 1767 in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu.
Jyotirindranath Tagore (4 May 1849 – 4 March 1925), was a Bengali playwright, musician, editor, and painter. He was the brother of the first non-European Nobel Prize winner, Rabindranath Tagore. Some of his Historical plays are Purubikram (1874), Sarojini (1875), Ashrumati (1879), Swapnamayi (1882). He was born on 4 May 1849 in Bengal.
Kyasamballi Chengaluraya Reddy (4 May 1902 – 27 February 1976), the first Chief Minister of Karnataka which is the Mysore State at that time. Initially, he belonged to the Praja Paksha party in Mysore State and further, he joined the Indian National Congress and participated in the Indian independence movement. After the independence of India in 1947, he led the Mysore Chalo movement seeking responsible state government in Mysore State and went on to become the first Chief Minister of the state. He served in this position from 1947 to 1952. Reddy later also served as the Governor of Madhya Pradesh. He was born on 4 May 1902 in Kyasamballi, Kolar, Kingdom of Mysore, British India.
Anna Chandy was the first female judge (1937) and then High Court judge (1959) in India. She was born on 4 May 1905 in the erstwhile kingdom of Travancore and raised in Trivandrum, Kerala.
Gurcharan Singh Garewal (May 4, 1911 – February 7, 1949), was an Indian field hockey player who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics.
Balswaroop Raahi, a Hindi poet and lyricist of India. He is best known for his Geet and Ghazal. He has written many songs for Bollywood. Raahi also worked as Head of the Hindi department at Delhi University. He was born on 4 May 1936 in Village Timarpur New Delhi.
Trisha, an Indian actress, and model, primarily works in Tamil and Telugu language films. She became Miss Chennai in 1999. She made her Bollywood début in Khatta Meetha. She was born on 4 May 1983 (age 37) in Madras, Tamil Nadu, India
Read More: 3 May in Indian and World History
Death Anniversary
4 May in Indian history is observed as the death anniversary of the following personalities:
Tipu Sultan (20 November 1750 – 4 May 1799), also known as Tipu Sahab or the Tiger of Mysore, was the Muslim ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in South India. Tipu remained an implacable enemy of the British East India Company, sparking conflict with his attack on British-allied Travancore in 1789. Tipu Sultan was killed at the Hoally (Diddy) Gateway, in the Fourth Mysore War on 4 May 1799 at the age of 48 in Srirangapatna, present-day Mandya, Karnataka.
Kishan Maharaj (3 September 1923 – 4 May 2008), was an Indian tabla player who belonged to the Benares Gharana of Hindustani classical music. He died on 4 May 2008 at the age of 84.
Richard Pike Bissell (June 27, 1913– May 4, 1977), was an American author of short stories and novels. He died on 4 May 1977.
Read More: 1 May in Indian and World History
Notable events on 4 May in Indian and World History
4 May 1655 – Bartolomeo Cristofori – an Italian maker of musical instruments famous for inventing the piano – was born.
4 May 1799 – Fourth Anglo-Mysore War: The Battle of Seringapatam: The siege of Seringapatam ends when the city is assaulted and the Tipu Sultan is killed by the besieging British army, under the command of General George Harris.
4 May 1878 – Thomas Edison’s Phonograph shown for 1st time at the Grand Opera House.
4 May 1916 – Jane Jacobs – a US-Canadian journalist, author, theorist, and activist – was born.
4 May 1938 – Carl von Ossietzky, a German journalist, pacifist. and Nobel Prize Laureate died.
4 May 1938 – Kanō Jigorō a Japanese educator and martial artist who is best known as the founder of Judo, a martial art and sport that has gained worldwide recognition and popularity – died.
4 May 1949 – Graham Swift, an English writer., and Nobel Prize Laureate, was born.
4 May 1958 – Keith Haring – an American artist whose pop art emerged from the New York City graffiti subculture of the 1980s – was born.
4 May 1962 – US performs atmospheric nuclear test at Christmas Island.
4 May 1972 – Edward Calvin Kendall, an American chemist, and Nobel Prize Laureate, died.
4 May 1979 – NASA launches Fltsatcom-2, a satellite communication system of the U.S. Navy that was used for UHF radio communications between ships, submarines, airplanes, and ground stations of the Navy.
4 May 1989 – NASA launches Magellan mission to Venus from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida
4 May 1989 – US space shuttle STS-30 launched. It was the 29th NASA Space Shuttle mission and the fourth mission for Space Shuttle Atlantis. It was the fourth shuttle launch since the Challenger Disaster and the first shuttle mission since the disaster to have a female astronaut on board.
4 May 1991 – Mohammed Abdel Wahab, an Egyptian singer, composer, and actor, died.
4 May 2013 – Christian de Duve, a Belgian biochemist, cytologist, and Nobel Prize Laureate, died.
4 May Historical Significance
On May 4th, a pivotal event in history took place, marking a significant turning point in the struggle for workers’ rights. This date is forever etched in the annals of history due to the Haymarket affair of 1886. On that day, in Chicago, labor activists gathered in Haymarket Square to protest for an eight-hour workday. However, the peaceful demonstration turned violent when a bomb was thrown into the crowd, leading to chaos and bloodshed. The aftermath of the Haymarket affair had far-reaching consequences, as it sparked a nationwide crackdown on labor organizations and led to the vilification of the labor movement in the United States. Despite the tragedy, the Haymarket affair galvanized the labor movement, inspiring workers to continue their fight for fair wages, better working conditions, and the right to organize. The events of May 4th serve as a somber reminder of the sacrifices made by those who fought for the rights and freedoms we enjoy today.
Important Days of 4 May in History
International Firefighters’ Day: Firefighters dedicate their lives to protecting lives and property. This dedication may take the form of countless hours of volunteering over many years, or it may take the form of many selfless years spent working in the industry. International Firefighters’ Day (IFFD) is a day when the world’s community can recognize and honor the sacrifices that firefighters make to ensure that their communities and environment are as safe as possible. It is also a day on which current and past firefighters can be thanked for their contributions.
Coal Miners Day: Coal Miners Day is celebrated on 4 May every year for the toughest professionals and coal miners. Workers commemorate this day to honor those who have sacrificed their lives and to remember those who have suffered tragedies as a result of their hard work.
Star Wars Day: May 4th is informally known as Star Wars Day, based on the pun “May the Fourth be with you,” a play on the popular Star Wars phrase “May the Force be with you.” Fans of the Star Wars franchise celebrate this day by watching the movies, dressing up as their favorite characters, and participating in various themed events and activities. It’s a fun-filled day for Star Wars enthusiasts around the world.