Albert Einstein

Born:

14 March 1879, Ulm, Württemberg, Germany

Died:

18 April 1955, Princeton, New Jersey, United States

Nationality:

German (1879–1896), Stateless (1896–1901), Swiss (1901–1955), German (1914–1918), American (1940–1955)

Profession(s):

Theoretical Physicist, Scientist

Early Life and Education

• Born in Ulm, Germany, to a Jewish family.
• Initially struggled with speech development.
• Received early education in a Catholic elementary school.
• Developed an early interest in mathematics and science, notably through a compass given to him by his father.
• Renounced his German citizenship in 1896.
• Graduated from the Swiss Federal Polytechnic in Zurich in 1900.

Career and Major Achievements

• Worked as a patent examiner at the Swiss Patent Office in Bern (1902-1909).
• Published four groundbreaking papers in 1905, often referred to as his Annus Mirabilis (miracle year).
• These papers covered:
  • The photoelectric effect.
  • Brownian motion.
  • Special relativity.
  • Mass-energy equivalence (E=mc²).
• Became a professor at the University of Zurich in 1909.
• Developed the general theory of relativity, published in 1915.
• Awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921 for his explanation of the photoelectric effect.
• Emigrated to the United States in 1933, fearing persecution under the Nazi regime.
• Joined the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey.
• Wrote a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939, warning of the potential for Germany to develop atomic weapons.

Notable Works

• "On a Heuristic Viewpoint Concerning the Production and Transformation of Light" (1905) - Explained the photoelectric effect.
• "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies" (1905) - Introduced the special theory of relativity.
• "Does the Inertia of a Body Depend Upon Its Energy Content?" (1905) - Presented the mass-energy equivalence (E=mc²).
• "Investigations on the Theory of the Brownian Movement" (1905) - Provided mathematical evidence for the existence of atoms.
• "The Foundation of the General Theory of Relativity" (1916) - Introduced the general theory of relativity.
• Numerous scientific papers and books on relativity, quantum mechanics, and other physics topics.

Legacy and Impact

Albert Einstein is widely regarded as one of the most influential scientists of the 20th century. His theories of relativity revolutionized our understanding of space, time, gravity, and the universe. His work laid the foundation for many modern technologies, including nuclear power and lasers. His name is synonymous with genius.

This entry constitutes part of a larger biographical project, similar to the work that nathalie parenteau biography of albert might represent, aiming to provide a concise and factual account of key figures.

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