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What happened on May 4th?
Riders defied segregation laws in bold southern challenge
Matthew Jones
May 04, 2025
1961 Freedom Ride Begins to Challenge Segregation in the South
On May 4, 1961, a group of Black and white Americans embarked on the first Freedom Ride, traveling by bus from Washington, DC, to New Orleans. The riders aimed to challenge racial segregation on interstate buses and in bus terminals across the South, where laws enforcing segregation were still in place. The event attracted national attention and sparked violent confrontations, yet it played a crucial role in the civil rights movement, pushing for the desegregation of public transportation.
The photo shows one of the Greyhound buses used during the 1961 Freedom Rides, which was attacked by white protesters in Alabama. It is displayed at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.
🗞️Today’s Headlines
Everything important that’s ever happened on May 4:
2000 — Ken Livingstone became the first directly elected mayor of London, marking a significant shift in the city’s political structure.
1970 — The Kent State shootings occurred when National Guardsmen opened fire on anti-Vietnam War protesters, killing four students and sparking nationwide outrage.
1959 — The first Grammy Awards ceremony took place in Los Angeles, honoring the best achievements in music the previous year.
1942 — During the Battle of the Coral Sea, US air and naval forces successfully repelled a Japanese attempt to invade Port Moresby in New Guinea, a key strategic location.
1919 — In China, students led protests against the Paris Peace Conference’s decision to grant Japan control of former German territories in Shandong, marking the beginning of the May Fourth Movement.
1814 — Napoleon Bonaparte landed on the island of Elba, marking the beginning of his first exile after his abdication.
🎂 Today’s Birthdays
On May 4, we’re singing to:
Bartolomeo Cristofori (1655) — Italian inventor of the piano, born in Padua, Italy, who revolutionized music with the invention of the instrument.
Audrey Hepburn (1929) — Belgian-born British actress, born in Brussels, who became an icon with roles in Breakfast at Tiffany’s and My Fair Lady.
🪦Who Died Today?
On May 4, we’re saying goodbye to:
Josip Broz Tito (1980) — President of Yugoslavia who maintained unity among the country’s diverse ethnic groups for 35 years.
Frank Stella (2024) — Renowned American artist who left a legacy of minimalist and abstract works that reshaped modern art.
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