Albert Einstein
- Born:
- March 14, 1879, Ulm, Württemberg, Germany
- Died:
- April 18, 1955, Princeton, New Jersey, United States
- Nationality:
- German (until 1896), Stateless (1896–1901), Swiss (1901–1955), German (1914–1918), American (1940–1955)
- Profession(s):
- Theoretical Physicist
Early Life and Education
- Einstein showed an early curiosity about mathematics and physics.
- He attended Luitpold Gymnasium in Munich but left without graduating.
- He obtained his diploma from the Aargau Cantonal School in Switzerland.
- He graduated from the Swiss Federal Polytechnic in Zurich in 1900.
Career and Major Achievements
- Worked as a patent clerk in Bern, Switzerland, from 1902 to 1909.
- Published groundbreaking papers in 1905, often referred to as his "miracle year."
- Developed the theory of relativity, including special and general relativity.
- Awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921 for his explanation of the photoelectric effect.
- Served as director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Physics from 1914 to 1933.
- Emigrated to the United States in 1933 and joined the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton.
- 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) - Photoelectric effect
- "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies" (1905) - Special relativity
- "Does the Inertia of a Body Depend Upon Its Energy Content?" (1905) - E=mc²
- "The Foundation of the General Theory of Relativity" (1916) - General relativity
- "Relativity: The Special and the General Theory" (1916) - Popular explanation of relativity
Legacy and Impact
Albert Einstein's theories revolutionized our understanding of space, time, gravity, light, and the universe. His work continues to influence modern physics and cosmology, and he remains one of the most recognizable and admired scientists in history.
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