Albert Einstein (14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist widely held to be one of the greatest and most influential scientists of all time. Best known for developing the theory of relativity, he also made important contributions to quantum mechanics.[1]
His mass–energy equivalence formula E = mc², which arises from relativity theory, has been called "the world's most famous equation." He received the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics for his services to theoretical physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect.[2]
Early life & education
Einstein was born in Ulm, in the Kingdom of Württemberg in the German Empire, on 14 March 1879 into a secular Ashkenazi Jewish family. His parents, Hermann Einstein and Pauline Koch, moved the family to Munich, where his father and uncle founded an electrical-equipment company.
He enrolled in the mathematics and physics teaching diploma program at the Swiss Federal Polytechnic (ETH Zurich), graduating in 1900. Unable to find a teaching post, he took a position at the Federal Institute of Intellectual Property in Bern.[3]
Academic career
In 1905, often called his annus mirabilis, Einstein published four groundbreaking papers on the photoelectric effect, Brownian motion, special relativity, and mass–energy equivalence. These works brought him to the notice of the academic world and earned him a doctorate from the University of Zurich.
He held professorships in Zurich, Prague, and Berlin, and in 1914 was appointed director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Physics. He was elected a member of the Prussian Academy of Sciences the same year.
Theory of relativity
Einstein's special theory of relativity (1905) reconciled the laws of mechanics with the laws of the electromagnetic field. In 1915 he completed the general theory of relativity, extending the principle of relativity to accelerated motion and presenting a new theory of gravitation.
General relativity's prediction that light bends around massive bodies was confirmed during the solar eclipse of 29 May 1919 by Arthur Eddington's expedition — an event that made Einstein instantly world-famous.[4]
Nobel Prize
Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921 "for his services to Theoretical Physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect." Notably, the prize was not awarded for relativity, which remained controversial at the time.
Later years & legacy
In 1933, while visiting the United States, Einstein — being Jewish — did not return to Germany after the Nazis came to power. He settled in the U.S. and became an American citizen in 1940, taking a position at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, where he worked until his death in 1955.
In 1999, Time named Einstein the Person of the Century. His name has become synonymous with genius, and his work continues to underpin modern cosmology, GPS technology, and particle physics.[5]
References
- Isaacson, W. (2007). Einstein: His Life and Universe. Simon & Schuster.
- "The Nobel Prize in Physics 1921." NobelPrize.org.
- Fölsing, A. (1997). Albert Einstein: A Biography. Viking.
- Dyson, F., Eddington, A., & Davidson, C. (1920). Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A.
- "Person of the Century." Time Magazine, 31 December 1999.
