首先我感觉这些是你自己造的句子。
The sun rose in the east yesterday. 没问题,描写昨天的状态。
He was my father yesterday. 独立看这句有问题。英语里没这个说法。如: Who was the man I saw yesterday? He was my father. 这样倒是可以。你的句子在特殊语境有可能。假如你今天和爸爸签了断绝父子关系协议,你在法庭辩论你这么说可以。He was my father yesterday, not today. 我很难想出其他合适的语境。
that is the best thing I have seen 一般have 后+ever, 这句没问题。
that was the best thing I have seen (也要加ever), 这句有问题,这种情况要用had ever seen 除非句尾加上in my life. 可以用have ever seen in my life.