Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi

Called "the world's most popular poet" and the best-selling poet in the United States. His works have been translated into dozens of languages. The Mevlevi Order he inspired is known for its whirling dervishes, who spin as a form of prayer.

Takes over his father's position as an Islamic scholar in Konya after his father's death. He teaches religious law. He's respected, conventional, devout. He has not yet written a single poem.

A wandering dervish named Shams of Tabriz arrives in Konya. Rumi is consumed. The two become inseparable, talking for days without stopping. Rumi abandons his teaching duties. His students are furious. Shams vanishes. Rumi sends his son to find him. Shams returns. Then disappears again, this time forever. Probably murdered by Rumi's jealous followers.

Composes the Masnavi, a six-volume poem of 25,000 couplets. Many Muslims call it "the Quran in Persian." He dictates it over years while pacing, spinning, leaning against pillars. He also produces the Divan of Shams Tabrizi, 40,000 verses of grief and ecstasy named for his lost companion.

Dies in Konya at 66. Muslims, Christians, and Jews attend his funeral. Asked why, mourners from other faiths say he was their sun too. His tomb in Konya becomes one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in Turkey.