Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein was born on March 14, 1879, in Ulm, in the Kingdom of Württemberg in the German Empire. His family later moved to Munich, where his father Hermann and uncle Jakob founded a company manufacturing electrical equipment. Though Einstein showed early signs of intelligence, he was a late talker as a child, leading some teachers to believe he might have developmental issues.

After his family's business failed, they moved to Italy, while Einstein remained in Munich to finish his education. He later joined his family in Italy and then continued his education in Switzerland. Einstein graduated from the Federal Polytechnic School (later ETH Zurich) in 1900, becoming a Swiss citizen in 1901.

In 1905, while working as a patent examiner in Bern, Einstein published four groundbreaking papers in the Annalen der Physik scientific journal. This year, known as his annus mirabilis or "miracle year," saw Einstein revolutionize scientific understanding with papers on the photoelectric effect, Brownian motion, special relativity, and the equivalence of mass and energy (E=mc²). The paper on the photoelectric effect would later earn him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921.

Einstein returned to Germany in 1914 to become director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Physics and a professor at the Humboldt University of Berlin. In 1915, he completed his work on general relativity, which describes gravity as a geometric property of space and time. This theory was confirmed by observations during a solar eclipse in 1919, making Einstein internationally famous.

As a Jewish scientist, Einstein faced increasing hostility in Germany with the rise of the Nazi Party. In 1933, while visiting the United States, he learned that the new Nazi government had passed laws barring Jews from holding official positions, including teaching at universities. Einstein decided not to return to Germany and settled in the United States, where he accepted a position at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. He became a U.S. citizen in 1940.

During World War II, Einstein warned President Franklin D. Roosevelt that Germany might develop atomic weapons, recommending that the U.S. begin similar research. This eventually led to the Manhattan Project, though Einstein himself did not work on the atomic bomb due to his lack of security clearance.

In his later years, Einstein continued his search for a unified field theory and became increasingly political, advocating for civil rights, pacifism, and Zionism. He declined an offer to become President of Israel in 1952.

Einstein died on April 18, 1955, in Princeton from an abdominal aortic aneurysm. In accordance with his wishes, his brain was preserved for scientific study, while his body was cremated and the ashes scattered in an undisclosed location.

Einstein's scientific contributions transformed our understanding of the universe. His equation E=mc² became a cultural symbol of scientific brilliance, and his name has become synonymous with genius. Beyond his scientific work, Einstein's humanitarian efforts, philosophical writings, and distinctive personality have secured his place as one of history's most recognized and respected figures.